The move followed a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The meeting took place on the margins of the 2026 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Évian, France.
Carney’s office said the two countries were “pleased to launch negotiations” for the M-346. Canada had also received proposals from U.S. and South Korean manufacturers.
“Leveraging Italian expertise in aerospace and defence, this agreement will enable the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to train in state-of-the-art equipment and build sovereign training capability,” Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office stated.
“This is Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy in action, with the Build-Partner-Buy approach building at home and partnering with reliable allies.” The readout said the leaders also discussed Canada’s efforts to establish the Defence, Security, and Resilience Bank.
The bank is intended to provide multi-year, low-cost financing for initiatives in defence, security and resilience. Their discussion also included critical minerals, energy and secure supply chains.
Timelines for a potential contract or delivery have not been disclosed. The number of aircraft required has also not been formally announced.
The Royal Canadian Air Force has been without a fighter lead-in training aircraft since March 2024. That was when 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta was placed on hiatus and the CT-155 Hawk was removed from flying service.
The Hawks served for almost 24 years in the multinational NATO Flying Training in Canada programme. They provided pilots from Canada and partner nations with the fundamentals of fighter jet tactics before they moved to operational aircraft.
With RCAF pilots due to begin training on the CF-35A this autumn, the CT-155 no longer met the training demands of a fifth-generation force. Ottawa established the FFLIT programme in 2021 after deciding to purchase the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to replace its CF-188 Hornets.
The FFLIT programme had also been evaluating the Boeing/Saab T-7A and the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50. Leonardo said it welcomed the Canadian government’s statement but did not provide further details.
The M-346 is marketed as both an advanced jet trainer and a light attack aircraft. It is powered by two Honeywell F124-GA-200 dry turbofan engines with full authority digital engine control.
The aircraft’s avionics suite includes six liquid crystal multi-function displays, two head-up displays and a digital moving map. It also includes an integrated helmet-mounted display system and autonomous navigation based on embedded GPS/INS radar-altimeter.
As a training platform, the M-346 offers an embedded tactical training system. The system displays threats for tactical scenarios on a digital map and includes computer-generated enemy and friendly forces.
The aircraft also supports a range of simulated weapons in a live, virtual and constructive training environment. The capability is intended to support advanced pilot preparation for modern fighter operations.
The FFLIT project is being developed with CAE as a strategic partner. It is expected to become operational between 2030 and 2032.
That schedule is close to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Range Advancement Generation Next & Airspace Revitalization project. RAGNAR will transform the air weapons range in Cold Lake and the military flying area in Bagotville, Quebec.
RAGNAR is expected to achieve initial operating capability by 2029. Full capability is expected in 2031 or 2032.
The prime minister’s readout did not state how many M-346 aircraft Canada would acquire. The input article said the RCAF is expected to need between 20 and 24 aircraft for a reactivated 419 Squadron.
Until the FFLIT programme and aircraft are delivered, the Air Force is using a bridge strategy for fighter pilot development. It is sending candidates and instructor pilots to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training programme at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas and the Italian Air Force’s International Flight Training School at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia.
The International Flight Training School operates the M-346 as its primary jet trainer. Royal Canadian Air Force pilots have already gained experience on the aircraft through that training route.
The RCAF’s first two pilots graduated from the Italian school earlier this year. Four Canadian students are currently on the 10-month course that began in April, and another four are due to join a second course starting in July.
That would bring the total number of Canadian students at the school to eight. The RCAF also has three instructor pilots at the International Flight Training School.
Although the CT-155 stopped in-air training in 2024, Canada’s fleet of 15 Hawks has been reassigned for ground-based use. The aircraft are now being used as maintenance trainers for aircraft technicians at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at 16 Wing Borden, Ontario.
Canada’s move towards the M-346 comes as the country increasingly looks to Europe to rebuild its military. Ottawa has also selected the Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft over proposals from U.S. primes, while a potential mixed fighter fleet of F-35s and Saab Gripens is under consideration.
