Ottawa intends to participate in an international project aimed at developing the next generation of stealth fighter aircraft, CBC News has learned. Defence Minister David McGuinty is expected to publicly announce Canada’s involvement in the effort during a visit to the United Kingdom next week.
The program brings together the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan in what is known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The initiative seeks to design and eventually produce a sixth-generation fighter aircraft with targeted access to production by around 2035. A concept design from the consortium has already been displayed publicly, including at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2024.
Details about Canada’s specific role within GCAP have not been fully disclosed in the advance information available to CBC News. Officials have indicated that Canada’s participation will align with its broader defence and technology objectives, potentially involving collaborations on research and development, industrial partnerships, and defense procurement planning. The arrangement would mark a significant bilateral and multilateral expansion of Canada’s fighter jet ambitions, following decades of procurement discussions and more limited international collaboration.
Observers note that joining GCAP would place Canada among a small group of nations pursuing advanced air-system capabilities beyond existing fourth-generation platforms. The program’s proponents argue that shared development could accelerate innovation, spread risk, and provide access to cutting-edge technologies in stealth, sensors, and aircraft integration.
Canada’s decision arrives amid ongoing national debates over defence spending, modernization of the air force, and considerations of industrial strategy tied to high-technology production. The government has not released a precise timeline for Canada’s formal participation or the extent of its financial commitment, but an official announcement is anticipated in the coming days during McGuinty’s engagement in the U.K. and related international meetings.