The prime ministers of Canada and Italy have begun negotiations to procure the M-346 advanced jet trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have begun negotiations to purchase Canada’s M-346 advanced jet trainer. The two officials met on the sidelines of the 2026 G7 summit in Evian, France, on June 16, 2026.
The Canadian government’s official press release frames the acquisition amid increasingly closer ties between the two countries in the field of defense and security. “By leveraging Italian expertise in the aerospace and defense sectors, this agreement will enable the Royal Canadian Air Force to train on state-of-the-art equipment and build sovereign training capabilities,” the statement said.
The new development comes less than a month after the International Test Pilot School of Canada (ITPS Canada) ordered the M-346T Block 20 as its new jet trainer. The RCAF is undergoing the Future Fighter Induction Training (FFLIT) program to replace the CT-155 Hawk jet trainer as part of its training pipeline modernization.
The Hawks were decommissioned in March 2024 after 24 years of service because they “no longer meet the airborne training requirements for fifth-generation fighters such as the RCAF’s future CF-35A,” the ministry said. Because replacement pilots have not yet been selected, the Canadian pilots continued their training at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and the Italian Air Force International Flight Training School (IFTS) at Decimomannou Air Base, Italy.
Details about the RCAF’s acquisition of the M-346 are not yet available. Canada originally purchased 22 CT-155 trainer aircraft, but it is unclear whether they will be replaced on a one-to-one basis.
The new FFLIT will see the RCAF and CAE work together to develop and improve programs to prepare and train pilots for the transition to the CF-35A. In particular, CAE has partnered with Leonardo and the Italian Air Force for IFTS, which similarly uses the M-346 trainer aircraft.
Although not specified, it is likely that the RCAF will acquire a new Block 20 variant of the M-346. This could also lead to synergies with ITPS Canada’s M-346 fleet to support the expansion of NATO and Allied tactical fighter pilot training at the company’s International Tactical Training Center (ITTC) in North Bay, Ontario.
future crew training
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is making major changes to its training system with its Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. These efforts are designed to prepare pilots and mission specialists for an increasingly complex operating environment while supporting the introduction of new aircraft fleets and capabilities.
The FAcT program has signed a 25-year contract with SkyAlyne in 2024 to provide the service with a state-of-the-art platform for crew training. The program integrates multiple existing training systems into a single, integrated pipeline for pilots, airborne combat systems officers (ACSOs), and airborne electronic sensor operators (AES Ops).
The goal is to combine live flights, advanced simulators, classroom training, maintenance support and new training infrastructure across multiple Canadian bases. A total of 71 aircraft are being inducted across five fleets, including the CT-102B Astra II, CT-157 Siskin II, CT-153 Juno, CT-145E Expeditor II and CT-142Q Citadel.
In addition to new aircraft, the RCAF is modernizing the way it delivers training. The training modernization strategy promotes a more integrated, skills-based approach, emphasizing data-driven training, expanded use of simulations, and a “just-in-time” training model that provides knowledge when it is needed rather than teaching skills in case they are needed later, the Department of Defense explained.
The strategy also envisions using artificial intelligence and advanced learning tools to personalize training, increase efficiency and reduce the burden on instructors. Once fully implemented, the new training ecosystem is expected to deliver a more flexible, scalable and operationally relevant pipeline, ensuring future RCAF aircrews are better prepared for modern aerospace and combat missions.
M-346 Block 20
Leonardo has announced the launch of a comprehensive performance enhancement package for the M-346 at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow. This major upgrade comes as the M-346 aircraft exceeds 100,000 flight hours and 10 years of service.
Both the M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) training and the M-346 Light Fighter Family (LFFA) fighter variants leverage these improvements across a wide range of applications, while also implying significant headroom for further development in the future. Leonardo said ‘M-346 T Block 20’ and ‘M-346 F Block 20’ are the designations for the new standards for the two aircraft.
The Block 20 standard cockpit is completely new with two large displays (LADs), one for each seat, and a low-profile head-up display (HUD), replacing the existing six multi-function displays (MFDs). This will be combined with new digital video and data recorders and a new augmented reality helmet-mounted display (HMD).
The M-346 Block 20 will also benefit from new navigation, weapons management, flight management systems, and Identification of Foe Force (IFF) transponders. Additional significant enhancements, especially for the M-346 F variant, include new weapon integration for air-to-air and air-to-ground roles, in addition to an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with fire control radar capability and an on-board missile datalink.
