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Which recent procurement competitions or cancellations resulted in a Gripen selection over the F-35 (or vice versa) since 2020?
Executive summary
Since 2020, a handful of high‑profile national competitions and reviews have pitched the Saab JAS‑39 Gripen against the Lockheed Martin F‑35; the F‑35 won competitive procurements such as Finland’s HX (decision announced in 2021) while the Gripen has scored export wins (e.g., Thailand 2024, Colombia announcements in 2025) and has forced reviews or partial reconsiderations — most notably Canada’s ongoing review of an 88‑jet F‑35 order where Saab placed second in the original Canadian competition and is actively pitching Gripen industrial offsets (Canada sources) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Available sources do not list any post‑2020 national procurement in which authorities definitively cancelled an F‑35 award and replaced it with Gripen, or vice versa, beyond program reviews and competing bids (not found in current reporting).
1. Gripen’s recent export momentum — wins and big announcements
Saab and the Gripen have registered tangible export traction since 2020: Thailand moved to acquire Gripen E/F in 2024 and Colombia announced a multi‑year Gripen‑E procurement plan in 2025, figures and deal terms discussed publicly in 2025 reporting [4] [5]. These sales are often framed by Saab and industry analysts as evidence the Gripen remains a competitively priced, exportable fourth‑to‑4.5‑generation option that can include local industry participation — a selling point used in later pitches to countries reconsidering F‑35 buys [5] [4].
2. F‑35: decisive wins in major competitions since 2020
The F‑35 prevailed in several major post‑2020 competitions. A prominent example is Finland’s HX procurement process, where the F‑35 emerged as the chosen platform after multi‑vendor trials and evaluations; contemporaneous reporting framed the F‑35 as the frontrunner earlier in the contest [1]. Broadly, sources note the F‑35’s 5th‑generation stealth, networking, and interoperability credentials were decisive for many countries that prioritized those attributes [1] [6].
3. Canada: the clearest case of a review, not a swap
Canada provides the clearest recent story where Gripen vs F‑35 competition produced political upheaval rather than a clean cancellation or replacement. Canada originally selected the F‑35 in 2022 and ordered 16 of 88 jets; Saab placed second in that open competition. In 2025 Ottawa launched a review of the remaining F‑35 purchase amid trade and diplomatic tensions with the United States and because of industrial‑benefit and job‑creation arguments Saab has been advancing [2] [3] [7]. Reporting emphasizes this is an ongoing review — not a finalized cancellation — and that Canada has considered options including buying fewer F‑35s and complementing them with Gripen Es assembled in Canada [2] [3]. Multiple outlets report strong pushback from F‑35 proponents who stress capability and interoperability advantages [8] [9].
4. Where claims of outright cancellations or swaps don’t appear in reporting
Available sources document program reviews, competitive losses, and export wins; they do not document a sovereign decision since 2020 where a government that had formally contracted to buy F‑35s officially scrapped that contract and formally replaced it with Gripen deliveries (or vice versa) in completed procurement records. If you have a specific country in mind, available sources do not mention a finalized swap beyond the Canadian review context and export announcements like Thailand and Colombia [2] [4] [5].
5. The practical drivers behind decisions and reviews — capability, cost, and industrial offsets
Reporting shows three recurring fault lines in Gripen vs F‑35 decisions: capability (stealth, sensors, networking favor F‑35), lifecycle cost and affordability (Gripen often pitched as lower‑cost to buy and operate), and industrial/political considerations (jobs, tech transfer and geopolitical alignment can push governments toward one maker) [6] [10] [2]. In Canada’s case the industrial‑jobs argument from Saab — a pledge of thousands of Canadian positions — is a central lever in political debates over the existing F‑35 plan [2] [7].
6. Competing narratives and where to be cautious
Pro‑Gripen pieces stress cost‑effectiveness and sovereignty from U.S. political pressure; F‑35 defenders emphasize stealth, integration with NATO/U.S. forces and comprehensive capability [9] [6]. Some outlets (opinion and industry analysis) present sharp judgments — for example, calling Gripen “unsuited” for modern stealth‑centric warfare or, conversely, arguing the F‑35 is unaffordable in total ownership cost — so readers should distinguish between reporting of procurement facts and editorial assessments [9] [6] [11].
7. Bottom line for your query
Since 2020: F‑35 won headline competitions such as Finland’s HX process [1]; Gripen registered export victories (Thailand 2024; Colombia announcements 2025) and has driven active reconsiderations — most notably Canada’s review of its remaining F‑35 buy where Saab had placed second and is proposing heavy industrial offsets [4] [5] [2] [3]. Available sources do not document a completed, post‑2020 procurement in which an F‑35 award was formally cancelled and replaced with Gripen deliveries (not found in current reporting).