Canada has announced it will pursue acquisition of the Leonardo M-346 Master transonic training aircraft from Italy.
Negotiations for a potential sale will begin following a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the 2026 G7 Leaders’ Summit in France.
Ottawa said that the move will equip the Royal Canadian Air Force with “state-of-the-art” equipment while bolstering the government’s sovereign training capability.
The planned deal also aligns the North American country’s Defence Industrial Strategy and Build-Partner-Buy framework, both promoting collaboration between the domestic industrial network and reliable overseas partners.
Officials did not provide further details on the initiative.
Last May, Ontario-based International Test Pilot School Canada ordered the M-346 system for live flight tests and military rehearsals in support of allied aviation programs.
Pick Between F-35, JAS 39
The plan comes amid Canada’s ongoing effort to employ fifth-generation fighter jets in place of its 1980s-era CF-18 Hornets.
That large-scale investment depends on an active selection weighing the adoption of an entire Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fleet or a mix of the US-built aircraft and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden, both supported by M-346-based pilot training.
Local Canadian media recently reported that Ottawa could decide on blended gunships, with orders for up to 100 airframes.
The M-346
Leonardo’s M-346 offers seating for up to two personnel and integration of a 12.7-millimeter machine gun, a 20-millimeter cannon, unguided bombs, as well as air defense, ground attack, and anti-ship missiles.
The 11-meter (36-foot) trainer jet has a wingspan of 10 meters (33 feet), an empty weight of 4,900 kilograms (10,803 pounds), and a fuel capacity of 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds).
The plane uses twin Honeywell F124-GA-200 turbofan engines, enabling a maximum speed of 575 knots (1,066 kilometers/662 miles per hour), a range of 1,200 nautical miles (2,222 kilometers/1,381 miles), and an altitude of 13,716 meters (45,000 feet).
