Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday that his government will not buy early warning radar aircraft from the United States, opting instead for European models.
Canada will buy Swedish Saab’s GlobalEye, which is based on the Canadian-built Bombardier Global 6500 jet.
“With a set of advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab’s GlobalEye will be a vital resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats in the Arctic,” Carney said at a defense conference in Ottawa.
The decision comes after Carney last year added Canada to a major EU defense fund, and the Canadian prime minister has made a point of diversifying his country’s military spending away from the United States.
Carney had also previously vowed not to spend more than 70 cents of every dollar of Canadian military capital spending on the United States.
After relying for decades on a partnership with the US to monitor Canada’s 4.4 million square km (1.7 million square miles) of land and sea, the prime minister promised earlier this year that Canada would take full responsibility for protecting its vast Arctic region.
“Saab’s GlobalEye will be a vital resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats in the Arctic,” said Carney.
What is Saab’s GlobalEye?
The Saab GlobalEye aircraft is equipped with a powerful radar. It provides situational awareness of aircraft and missile movements up to hundreds of kilometres.
The aircraft can also detect hostile activity in the air or from ships and direct fighters to their targets. Carney did not elaborate on the size of the fleet or the cost of the potential contract.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Saab said it planned to invest in research and development operations in Canada as part of any deal.
Tensions between the US and Canada have been high since US President Donald Trump started a trade war against America’s northern neighbor and even suggested Canada becoming the 51st US state, leading to widespread outrage in Canada, as Carney sought the post of Prime Minister and was successful in getting elected.
Since then, the Canadian government has also opted to review the planned purchase of US F-35 fighter aircraft to explore other options.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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