By Kyle Duggan
OTTAWA — Canada has become the first country to gain observer status in a next-generation fighter jet program run by the U.K., Japan and Italy.
That means Ottawa gains access to internal information about the Global Combat Air Program as the sixth-generation fighter is under development.
The countries’ defence ministers announced the news in London today.
The three countries launched the program to replace the Eurofighter Typhoons and Japan’s F-2 jets by 2035.
Experts say it’s still very early days and it’s not clear whether Canada has a viable path to participating in the program in a way that gets domestic industry involved.
The federal government has yet to sort out what it’s doing with its order for a full fleet of fifth-generation F-35 fighter
jets — that contract has been under review amid the ongoing trade war with the United States.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.
