Canada Moves Toward M-346 Purchase, Strengthening Leonardo’s Position in the Global Trainer Market

Canada has officially announced the launch of negotiations to acquire Leonardo’s M-346 advanced jet trainer, marking a significant step forward for the Italian aerospace industry. The announcement came following a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian, France. Beyond the aircraft themselves, the move highlights a broader deepening of defence and industrial cooperation between Ottawa and Rome.

The reference to the M-346 was included in a joint statement issued after the bilateral meeting. According to the Canadian government, the aircraft would help the Royal Canadian Air Force develop a sovereign training capability while providing access to state-of-the-art training systems.

A Major Opportunity for Leonardo

While discussions surrounding Canada’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program have been ongoing for some time, this is one of the clearest public endorsements yet from Ottawa regarding the M-346.

The Canadian statement explicitly mentions the launch of negotiations for the purchase of aircraft “designed and produced by Leonardo,” a wording that suggests the project has moved beyond preliminary discussions and entered a more advanced phase.

For Leonardo, securing Canada as a customer would represent one of the most important export successes for the M-346 in recent years. The aircraft is already operated by several air forces worldwide and has become one of the leading advanced jet trainers available on the international market.

The timing is also noteworthy. In recent days, Boeing withdrew from the U.S. Navy’s future trainer competition, a development that further reinforces the standing of Leonardo’s training platform at a time when several Western nations are reassessing their pilot training requirements.

More Than an Aircraft Deal

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the announcement is the broader strategic context in which it was made.

The M-346 acquisition was presented alongside discussions on critical minerals, energy cooperation, defence industrial partnerships, and secure supply chains. This places the potential deal within a wider framework of growing Canada–Italy cooperation rather than as a standalone procurement program.

The Canadian government also linked the negotiations to its Defence Industrial Strategy and its “Build-Partner-Buy” approach, which seeks to combine domestic industrial development with partnerships involving trusted allies.

This suggests that Ottawa increasingly views Italian industry not only as a supplier of defence equipment but also as a long-term strategic partner.

Should negotiations conclude successfully in the coming months, Canada could become one of the largest Western operators of the M-346. Such a development would further strengthen Leonardo’s position in the global trainer market and could provide additional momentum for future export campaigns at a time when advanced pilot training capabilities are becoming increasingly important across NATO air forces.