Canada Joins Fighter Jet Program Founded by UK, Italy, Japan

11:02 AM EDT, 07/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Canada joined the Global Combat Air Programme founded by the UK, Italy  and Japan as the first "observer" nation. The observer status gives Canada privileged access to the program, with potential participation and contribution to the project in the future, the British government said in a Tuesday release. The program, established in 2022, is a collaborative effort that aims to produce a next-generation combat  aircraft by 2035.