{"id":369806,"date":"2026-07-21T19:54:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=369806"},"modified":"2026-07-21T19:54:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:24:43","slug":"canada-set-to-hitch-european-fighter-jet-program-as-an-observer-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/canada-set-to-hitch-european-fighter-jet-program-as-an-observer-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada set to hitch European fighter jet program as an observer – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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While the federal government has yet\u00a0to\u00a0sort out what it\u2019s doing with its order for a full fleet of fifth-generation F-35\u00a0fighter\u00a0jets, it\u2019s already looking\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0next\u00a0big thing.<\/p>\n

Ottawa is widely expected\u00a0to\u00a0announce Tuesday it’s going to\u00a0join\u00a0a sixth-generation\u00a0fighter\u00a0jet\u00a0program\u00a0run by the U.K., Japan and Italy \u2014 not\u00a0as\u00a0a participant but\u00a0as\u00a0an\u00a0observer\u00a0with access\u00a0to\u00a0internal information.<\/p>\n

Defence Minister David McGuinty, currently within the U.K. for a significant international air show, has said the federal government is fascinated with learning more concerning the Global Combat Air\u00a0Program.<\/p>\n

The three countries launched the Global Combat Air\u00a0Program\u00a0to\u00a0replace Japan\u2019s F-2 jets and the Eurofighter Typhoons utilized by the U.K. and Italy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still very early days and it\u2019s not clear yet whether\u00a0Canada\u00a0has a viable path\u00a0to\u00a0participating within the\u00a0fighter\u00a0jet\u00a0program\u00a0in a way that gets domestic industry involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still very conceptual,\u201d said Philippe Lagass\u00e9, a professor on the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cResearch has begun on it. The viability just isn’t yet clear. The importance of it just isn’t yet clear. You\u2019ll have loads of critics who will argue we must be abandoning traditional fighters altogether. There\u2019s loads of things\u00a0to\u00a0iron out and a few uncertainty \u2026 but that is normal for a project like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

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David Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said there are loads of unanswered questions on how\u00a0Canada\u00a0could get entangled and whether there\u2019s\u00a0an\u00a0entry fee.<\/p>\n

But gaining\u00a0observer\u00a0status could help crystallize the federal government\u2019s pondering on future involvement within the\u00a0program, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel it is sensible for us, at a minimum,\u00a0to\u00a0go kick the tires after which see whether or not if it looks prefer it\u2019s a great initiative\u00a0to\u00a0be a component of more seriously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Boeing within the U.S. is manufacturing the F-47, a\u00a0next-generation twin-engined\u00a0fighter\u00a0to\u00a0replace the U.S. air force\u2019s F-22 Raptor. Those have\u00a0an\u00a0estimated cost of about US$300 million per aircraft \u2014 rather more expensive than the F-35s.<\/p>\n

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