Canada has joined the GCAP 6th-gen fighter jet program, an initiative launched by the UK, Italy and Japan, as an “observer”, Britain’s defense ministry announced Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Canada would “join the programme as the first observer nation”, which would make it “even stronger”.
Canada will gain “direct insight” into the programme, including into “industrial collaboration” and “long-term delivery plans”, the UK government said.
While Canada gets a non-decision-making role, the move “paves the way for discussions on Canada’s future participation and contribution to GCAP”, it added.
British defense minister Wes Streeting said the agreement would “strengthen the UK’s defense cooperation with Canada”.
At a press conference after a meeting hosted by Streeting in London, Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi said Ottawa’s participation was “monumental” and would “advance cooperation among our four nations”.
Canadian defense minister David McGuinty said this “important milestone” would allow Canada to “deepen its understanding of next-generation combat air capabilities”.
Earlier, as EurAsian Times reported, McGuinty had told Koizumi that Canada was “interested in learning more about” the GCAP.
Subsequently, McGuinty told Reuters that he discussed the advanced fighter jet program with his Japanese counterpart, calling it “promising.”
“We are interested in learning more about it. I’ll take it back to my team and see what it looks like,” McGuinty told the publication in an interview after the meeting.
Canada’s GCAP decision comes as it is reviewing its F-35 purchase, which Prime Minister Mark Carney put on hold in March 2025 amid escalating tensions with the United States.
Although the F-35 review was expected to be published by the end of summer 2025, it has been indefinitely delayed, with no clarity on when a decision will be made.
In addition to the GCAP, Ottawa has also been exploring buying up to 72 Gripen-E/F jets from Saab in a package deal that includes GlobalEye surveillance aircraft and local manufacturing of the 4.5th-generation jets.
What Does Canada Get Out Of Observer Status?
Canada’s observer position does not automatically translate into a partnership. Instead, it allows the observer access to critical information about the technologies and paves the way for a potential acquisition of the system.
Earlier, Sweden held observer status in the GCAP before withdrawing from the initiative in 2023, citing a mismatch in requirements and high costs. Similarly, Belgium joined the now-defunct FCAS (Future Combat Air System) grouping as an observer in April 2024.
Typically, an observer member in a multinational weapon development program could gain limited but valuable access and insights without the full commitments, costs, or decision-making power of full members or participating states. As an observer member in the GCAP grouping, Canada would gain controlled access to classified or confidential data on the next-generation fighter’s design, technologies, performance, and development process.
This could be very useful for evaluating the system, planning potential future integration into the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), or informing domestic defense strategies.
Becoming an observer means Canada can join the GCAP on a low-commitment basis and, if it so wishes, eventually become a developer. However, that is not guaranteed.
Moreover, observer members typically place orders for the final system, giving them a unique “try before full commitment” option.
Entering the program as an observer will likely allow Canada to explore collaboration with GCAP’s industry partners, including BAE Systems (representing the UK), Leonardo (representing Italy), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (representing Japan).
This could benefit Canadian aerospace firms through potential subcontracting, knowledge transfer, or later roles in the supply chain. It will also help the Canadian government enhance defense ties with the UK, Italy, and Japan and diversify its security relationships beyond the United States.
The UK said last year that it was open to welcoming Canada, whereas Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto recently said that more members could join the program, emphasizing that its expansion would help share development costs.
“The country most interested at the moment seems to be Canada as an observer; we are fully open to it,” Crosetto had told reporters.
The GCAP grouping has set an ambitious target: to fly its first demonstrator by 2027 and field the next-generation aircraft by 2035.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
