New British prime minister gains early defense win with Canada fighter jet tie-up

FARNBOROUGH, England — Britain’s new government secured an early defense win on Tuesday as Canada joined the delayed GCAP fighter jet program , part of a wider push by European allies to reduce their reliance on U.S. weapons and military technology.

The move coincides with the Farnborough Airshow, the aerospace and defense industry’s premier gathering, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East driving demand for tools from combat drones and interceptor missiles to AI-enabled military software.

The airshow coincides with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first days in office. He named John Healey, who favors hiking the UK defense budget, as finance minister, while giving Health Minister Wes Streeting the defense brief.

The appointments boosted British defense and aerospace stocks on Tuesday, as markets bet companies would benefit from the new government’s willingness to make Britain more war-ready.

“I’m looking forward to working with him in his new capacity,” Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic told reporters at the show on Tuesday, referring to Healey. “He understands Rolls-Royce and our agenda and how much we contribute to the country.”

The new government’s first announcement with foreign partners came on the Global Combat Air Programme, the stealth fighter being jointly developed by Britain, Italy and Japan. Canada joined as an observer, marking the first expansion beyond the founding members.

(left to right) Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty, U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi pose for a photo at a Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) ceremony at Wellington Barracks in London on July 21, 2026. (Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

BAE Systems, Boeing and Saab also signed a deal to advance a partnership to offer Britain a new fast-jet pilot training aircraft based on Boeing’s T-7 system, as it looks for a replacement for the aging Hawk fleet.

Defense sector signal

Healey had previously spent months lobbying the former prime minister to lay out a pathway to spend 3% of GDP on defense by 2030, rather than the 2.68% that the government eventually budgeted for.

“As Defense Secretary, John Healey championed British business, recognizing the contribution that the defense sector makes to growth and national security,” BAE Systems CEO Charles Woodburn said.

Canada is becoming an increasingly important defense partner for European nations as it looks to diversify its defense spending away from the United States and forge closer ties on the continent.

There will be no financial commitment involved in its observer status, but Canada could join the program more formally in future, sharing the billion-dollar development bill and potentially ordering the jets.

Defense companies made up half of a record 1,600 exhibitors at this year’s show, highlighting a shift from the usual dominance of commercial aviation and reflecting how conflicts have reshaped spending priorities.

英国范堡罗——周二，英国新政府在国防领域取得了一项早期胜利，加拿大加入了延期的GCAP战斗机项目，这是欧洲盟友为减少对美国武器和军事技术的依赖而采取的更广泛行动的一部分。

此举恰逢范堡罗航展，这是航空航天和国防工业最重要的盛会，乌克兰和中东的战争推动了对从作战无人机和拦截导弹到人工智能军事软件等工具的需求。

此次航展恰逢新任首相安迪·伯纳姆上任伊始。他任命主张增加英国国防预算的约翰·希利为财政大臣，同时将国防大臣一职交给卫生大臣韦斯·斯特里廷。

周二，这些任命提振了英国国防和航空航天类股，因为市场押注这些公司将受益于新政府提高英国战备能力的意愿。

劳斯莱斯首席执行官图凡·埃尔金比尔吉奇周二在展会上对记者表示：“我期待着与他以新的身份共事。”他指的是希利。“他了解劳斯莱斯和我们的目标，以及我们对国家的贡献。”

新政府与外国伙伴的首个合作项目是全球作战空中计划（Global Combat Air Programme），该计划是由英国、意大利和日本联合研发的隐形战斗机。加拿大以观察员身份加入，标志着该计划首次扩展到创始成员国之外。

（从左至右）加拿大国防部长戴维·麦金蒂、英国国防大臣韦斯·斯特里廷、意大利国防部长圭多·克罗塞托和日本防卫大臣小泉进次郎于2026年7月21日在伦敦惠灵顿军营举行的全球作战航空计划（GCAP）仪式上合影。（Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images）

英国航空航天系统公司 (BAE Systems)、波音公司和萨博公司也签署了一项协议，以推进合作，向英国提供基于波音公司 T-7 系统的新型快速喷气式飞行员训练飞机，因为英国正在寻找替代老旧的 Hawk 机队的机型。

国防部门信号

此前，希利曾花费数月时间游说这位前首相，希望他能制定一项计划，到 2030 年将国防开支提高到国内生产总值的 3%，而不是政府最终预算的 2.68%。

“约翰·希利担任国防大臣期间，大力支持英国企业，他认识到国防工业对经济增长和国家安全所做出的贡献，”英国航空航天系统公司首席执行官查尔斯·伍德伯恩表示。

随着加拿大寻求减少对美国的国防开支，并与欧洲大陆建立更紧密的联系，它正成为欧洲国家日益重要的防务伙伴。

加拿大作为观察员不会承担任何经济义务，但未来可能会正式加入该计划，分担数十亿美元的研发费用，并有可能订购喷气式飞机。

在今年的展会上，国防公司占了创纪录的 1600 家参展商的一半，这凸显了以往商业航空主导地位的转变，也反映了冲突如何重塑了支出重点。