Interesting read. It certainly makes one wonder. In our view, the choice between Gripen and F-35 for Canada may presented as a technical capability decision, but the evaluation itself is shaped by political choices about alliances, industrial policy and threat scenarios. Also, the scoring framework may be described as reflecting only threat scenarios and capability needs, yet a different set of political priorities could still make Gripen the better strategic option for Canada. In practice, the choice is a political one between a platform that best serves the integrated US led alliance model and a platform that prioritizes Canadian industrial autonomy and alternative partnerships, even if both can be justified on “technical” grounds. While Ottawa is currently committed to an 88 aircraft F-35 fleet, the ongoing Saab-Bombardier talks and unease over F-35 costs mean that a future mixed fleet in which Canada adds a smaller number of Gripen aircraft remains a plausible political and industrial scenario.
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