Canada is lobbying to be admitted to the UK, Italy and Japan’s joint advanced fighter jet development programme, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Canada wants to participate in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as an “observer”, the people said, in its latest attempt to distance itself from the US and strengthen ties with other trading partners.
A Canadian government official told the FT that Ottawa’s efforts were part of its attempts to “diversify defence procurement and grow partnership with like-minded allies”. A formal request had been sent to the UK and letters to Japan and Italy would follow shortly, the official said.
Observer status would grant Ottawa access to certain confidential project information while it considered whether to participate as a buyer or joint development partner at a later stage, the people said.
The country’s entrance to the programme could be decided at a meeting in July. Officials familiar with the project said Canada’s admission was “highly likely” to be agreed, but that there had previously been division among the original trio over expanding the group.
Canada’s lobbying efforts come as the progress of GCAP has stumbled over concerns about
UK funding amid delays to the country’s long-term defence spending strategy.
Officials in Tokyo and London said the “observer status” role had been devised to create a pathway into the multibillion-dollar GCAP for other nations that avoided a complicated and time-consuming process of expanding the core trio of Japan, UK and Italy. The programme is targeting first delivery in 2035.
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