Canada Picks Saab GlobalEye Over Boeing E-7 in Pivot from US Defense Suppliers

Canada will buy Saab’s GlobalEye early warning aircraft instead of Boeing’s troubled E-7 Wedgetail, marking a deliberate move away from US defense procurement. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the decision at an Ottawa defense conference, framing it as essential for monitoring Arctic threats across the country’s 4.4 million square kilometers of territory. Military officials had previously signaled interest in six aircraft, though no contract size or value was disclosed.

The choice carries strategic weight beyond the hardware. Carney has been steering Canada away from dependence on US military capability since Washington imposed tariffs on Canadian imports, and analysts at Carleton University describe the GlobalEye deal as a key test of that pivot. Saab has pledged R&D investment in Canada and is also competing to supply Gripen fighters as a partial substitute for Canada’s existing 88-jet F-35 order from Lockheed Martin.

The deal deepens defense ties with Sweden, a recent NATO entrant, and aligns with Ottawa’s broader push to cooperate with Nordic allies on Arctic security as confidence in US reliability erodes.