Canada will buy surveillance plane from Sweden’s Saab, Carney says

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government is entering into contract negotiations with Saab to buy a fleet of surveillance aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The federal government has previously said it’s in the market for six radar aircraft to help protect Canada against threats.

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Saab produces the planes in a joint partnership with bombardier, based off of the Global 6500 business jet.

The prime minister says the Air Force needs the jets to monitor new threats such as hypersonic missiles.

Carney unveiled the news at the Cansec defence expo in Ottawa — the first time a prime minister has attended the annual arms show.

American firms Boeing and L3Harris also make such radar planes.

The prime minister also touted stepped-up levels of defence spending, saying in his prepared remarks that the federal government now aims to spend the equivalent of four per cent of GDP on defence by 2030.