Canada hopes for more cooperation with Japan via GCAP

Canadian Ambassador to Japan Ian McKay has expressed an expectation for his country to participate in the Global Combat Air Program among Japan, Britain and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet. The target year for rollout is 2035.

Canada’s move to become an observer of the project is “a very important step,” and “the ultimate objective is to become a full member,” McKay said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

The observer status, agreed upon by the four countries in July, will help Canada understand “what specific technologies we can bring to such a large-scale project,” he said.

Noting the importance of understanding how the participating parties can “cooperate and build the best technology possible,” McKay said that Canada can contribute in the areas of aircraft, mission control systems, radar and satellite technologies.

In March, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, agreed at a meeting in Tokyo to upgrade bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

McKay, who describes Japan as “an extraordinarily important partner,” also expressed hopes for bilateral collaboration in energy security, pointing to Japan’s heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports.

“We’re happy to be that reliable supplier,” he said. McKay also indicated confidence in working with Japan and other partners on critical minerals, including those needed for electric vehicle batteries. “We are very focused on the development of mineral supply chains with Japan,” he said.

As part of the project agreed by the two prime ministers to establish a bilateral Economic Security Dialogue, a vice minister-level meeting is expected to be held in Ottawa later this year to discuss how to strengthen supply chains and other topics, according to a spokesperson of the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.

Regarding increasing cybersecurity threats, which McKay described as “a real issue,” the ambassador said Canada and Japan have been working together for years “at the highest levels to share best practices on cyberdefense technologies” to mitigate threats, as well as at the commercial level to respond to shared challenges.

He also said, “Canada is very lucky that we have enormous energy resources,” such as oil, natural gas, propane, renewable energy, hydroenergy and critical minerals.

“We’re very excited to partner with Japan, who can bring, in some cases, capital, technology, supply chain expertise and defense security partnership,” he said, also naming artificial intelligence and quantum computing as promising areas for collaboration.

In 2028, Japan and Canada will mark the centennial of their diplomatic relations. Calling himself a “strong believer in people-to-people exchanges,” McKay voiced hopes for more exchange opportunities through events, expected to be held in 2028 and 2029, to celebrate the success of the bilateral relationship.