Industry Minister Mélanie Joly will meet this week in Sweden with the company behind a fighter jet that could replace some of the planes Canada has already committed to purchasing from the United States.

A government source with knowledge of the minister’s plans confirmed that she will meet with Saab along with other businesses in Sweden. The Globe and Mail is not naming the source, who is not authorized to publicly discuss details of the trip.

The source did not say whether the talks with Saab will focus on procurement of the planes.

Ms. Joly’s sit-down with Saab, the runner-up in Ottawa’s competition for a new plane to replace the aging CF-18 Hornet, follows an announcement from the government earlier this year that it would review the originally-estimated $19-billion purchase of 88 F-35 Lightning fighter jets.

The jets are manufactured by U.S. defence contractor Lockheed Martin, with the first of the new warplanes scheduled for delivery in 2026.

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But the Liberals decided to review that planned purchase after U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a tariff dispute, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying in March it behooves Canada to take a closer look at how it is spending its defence budget.

He reiterated that position earlier this month, telling reporters the review is continuing.

“The review is driven by the need and the responsibilities and approach that we’re taking to making sure that this very large and necessary investment in defence is done so most effectively,” he said during a news conference on Aug. 8, announcing a pay raise for the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Defence Department told The Globe and Mail on Friday it expects the review, being carried out by deputy ministers within the department, to be complete by the end of the summer. It has not committed to making the results public.

Canada’s fighter fleet, originally purchased in the 1980s, is reaching the end of its lifespan, and Ottawa has dragged out a procurement process to pick a replacement for more than a decade.

It had originally selected the F-35 model in 2010. Then, after Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister in 2015, in part on a promise not to buy the F-35, the competition was relaunched. Finally, the government selected the Lockheed Martin aircraft, its original choice, in early 2023.

The government has said contractually, it must only purchase 16 of the planes.

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Earlier this year, Auditor-General Karen Hogan said the cost of buying the planes is much higher than originally billed, and now sits around $27.7-billion.

Ms. Hogan also noted that the infrastructure required to support the planes was behind schedule, and there is a shortage of pilots qualified to fly them.

Saab, the Swedish company which finished second in the competition for the jet contract, proposed assembling at least part of its Gripen E-series jets in Canada.

Saab also has a partnership with Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier for a surveillance plane, and said in May they are ready to offer it to the Canadian government.

The company has also expressed interest in being a part of the existing plan to revamp the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarines.

According to a press release announcing the trip, which did not mention the meeting with Saab, Ms. Joly is travelling with Stephen Fuhr, the secretary of state for defence procurement. He is a former CF-18 pilot.

“Discussion will focus on key sectors including aerospace, defence, shipbuilding, biomanufacturing, automotive, mining, and telecommunications,” the press release said.

“Minister Joly will also highlight Canada’s world-class industries, their highly skilled work force and cutting-edge innovation. She will emphasize the government’s commitment to major economic investments, particularly in the defence sector.”

Ms. Joly is also travelling to Finland on the same trip, where she’s expected to attend a steel-cutting ceremony at the Davie shipyard there; the Canadian company purchased Helsinki Shipyard Oy two years ago.

Analysts have said sidelining the F-35 jets could further antagonize U.S. President Donald Trump, and jeopardize the ongoing talks between his administration and Canada for a new trade and security pact.

But Canada is not alone in reviewing its F-35 commitment – Switzerland is now rethinking the purchase after being slapped by U.S. tariffs.

With files from Steven Chase