Canada is willing to join the European fighter jet program as an observer – National
While the federal government hasn’t decided what to do with its fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet program, it’s already on its way to the next big thing.
Ottawa is expected to announce on Tuesday that it will join the sixth-generation fighter jet program run by the UK, Japan and Italy – not as a participant but as an observer with access to inside information.
Defense Minister David McGuinty, who is currently in the UK for a major international air show, said the government is interested in learning more about the Global Combat Air Programme.
The three countries launched the Global Combat Air Program to replace Japan’s F-2 fighter jets and the Eurofighter Typhoons used by the UK and Italy.
It is still early days and it is not yet clear whether Canada has a viable way to participate in the military aircraft program in a way that involves domestic industry.
“It’s still in the mind,” said Philippe Lagassé, a professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
“Research has begun on it. The effectiveness is not yet clear. The value is not yet clear. You will have many critics who will argue that we should completely abandon traditional heroes. There are many things to be worked out and uncertainties … but this is normal for a project like this.”
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David Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said there are many unanswered questions about how Canada can join and whether there is money to join.
But gaining an observational position could help clarify the federal government’s thinking about future involvement in the program, he said.
“I think it makes sense to, at least, go kick the tires and see if it looks like a good move to be an important part,” he said.
Boeing in the US is producing the F-47, a next-generation twin-engine fighter that will replace the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. Those cost about US$300 million per aircraft – more expensive than the F-35s.
Daniel Norton, a senior systems analyst at the RAND Corporation think tank, said the US may not want to export this technology and “it would be too expensive for small air forces like the RCAF.”
The Global Combat Air Program, he said, “could be less expensive and give Canadian firms a greater opportunity to participate in development and production.”
“At the very least, the threat of participation would give leverage to negotiations with other contractors,” he added.
Canada’s plan to buy a fleet of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets has been under federal review for more than a year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has put the total order of 88 jets under review by March 2025 in response to the ongoing trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump.
Richard Shimooka, executive director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said the Global Combat Air Program has had internal conflicts and it has been unclear where the program will be for the past few years.
The UK has dragged its heels for almost a year on fiscal commitments, while Japan is aiming for a faster pace.
Shimooka pointed out that there is another option for Canada: joining the US Navy’s sixth generation project, the F/A-XX.
Canada may still want to join that if there is a political shift between Ottawa and Washington, he said.
“Canadian industries are effectively matching American industries,” he said.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
