GE Aerospace, Magellan reach agreement for work on Gripen jets — if Canada buys them

OTTAWA — GE Aerospace and Magellan say they’ve signed an agreement on maintenance for the engines of Saab’s Gripen E jets — on the condition that Ottawa ultimately decides to buy the fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Magellan is also a key partner in the F-35 Lightning II supply chain in Canada, which makes horizontal tail assemblies in Winnipeg.

This is the second such agreement between two private firms on the prospect of a Gripen order in as many weeks, after Saab declared it is ready to work with the Canadian company CAE on a domestic training, flight simulation and support program.

The Swedish jet maker — which was the main rival to the F-35 in Ottawa’s future fighter procurement program — has said its jets could be built in Canada, with some exported to Ukraine, if the federal government chooses to buy them.