Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
Canada has ordered F-35s but may also look to a European solution in a similar class. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
Canada signed a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU in June this year and launched negotiations for membership in Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a key pillar of the EU’s Readiness 2030 plan. It was announced on 2 December that Canada is now a member.
Adopted by the Council of the EU on 27 May, SAFE is the EU’s new financial instrument designed to provide support to member states to speed up defence readiness. SAFE does this by allowing major investments in support of the European defence industry, with a focus on closing critical capability gaps.
SAFE provides up to
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