A 1/10 model of a next-generation combat jet is on display at a booth for the Global Combat Air Program at the Japan International Aerospace Exhibition in Tokyo on Oct. 16, 2024. AP Photo/Mari YamaguchiCanada 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.
Canada First Country to Join European Next-Gen Jet Fighter Program as an Observer
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