Canada to Join Global Combat Air Program as Observer

Canada will join the Global Combat Air Program as an observer. The agreement will be announced on July 21 in London during the Farnborough International Airshow. As an observer, Ottawa would not actively participate in GCAP contracts but could gain access to the project’s sensitive information and may contribute flight-simulation training technology.

A UK government spokesperson stated the country, alongside its program partners, remains open to others joining GCAP while keeping it on track and delivering future military capabilities. Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty stated last month in Tokyo that Canada was interested in learning more about GCAP and called it a promising initiative.

Canada has confirmed its first order for 16 Lockheed Martin F-35s and has spent the last year reviewing its initial plans to acquire an additional 72 aircraft while leaving open the possibility of a mixed fighter fleet pairing the F-35 with the Saab-made Gripen.

Mark Cancian stated that Canada could have difficulty sustaining a multi-aircraft fighter force that includes a sixth-generation fighter because its fleet is not that large and has sustainment issues in any case, with two supply chains making sustainment more difficult.

CAE produces advanced multi-domain training systems and is the national leader in flight-simulation technology in Canada, supplying the UK Ministry of Defence and the International Flight Training School in Sardinia, Italy. In June, Canada became the first non-European country to gain access to the European Union’s Security Action for Europe rearmament plan.