Canada Officially Joins GCAP as Observer
Canada will assess industrial and testing roles in the 2035 stealth fighter project but has not committed to buying the aircraft, officials said.
- On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Canada became the first observer in the U.K.-led Global Combat Air Programme, joining Italy and Japan to develop next-generation stealth fighter jets by 2035.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney initiated the move to diversify military partnerships as Canada faces economic pressure, including 50 per cent tariffs the United States imposed on Monday.
- Royal Canadian Air Force commander Jamie Speiser-Blanchet suggested Canada could support the program by testing advanced stealth platforms in the Arctic to ensure seamless interoperability.
- Defence Minister David McGuinty stated the government is proceeding "step-by-step" without committing to purchase the aircraft, while Canada continues reviewing its F-35 fleet procurement.
- BAE Systems, the program's lead integrator, emphasized the jet's integration with fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation platforms to counter adversary threats, positioning allied efforts as strategically aligned.
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A program of new generation fighter aircraft led by the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy hosts a first observer country: Canada.
New weight partner for the consortium between Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan to develop the new generation stealth fighter by 2035. Crosetto talks about strategic turning point for deterrent, European technological autonomy and international cooperation. Ottawa will now have observer status
The FCAS project failed, but British, Italian and Japanese are making good progress with their fighter jet. Now a fourth country joins as an "observer".
The NOTL Local
Airdrie City ViewCanada 1st to get 'observer' status in multinational next-gen fighter jet program
OTTAWA — Canada has become the first country to gain observer status in a future fighter jet program run by the U.K., Japan and Italy, even as a decision on Ottawa's current order of F-35s remains up in the air.
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