Lockheed Martin and CAE took the opening day of the Paris Airshow to announce an alliance for F-35 Lightning II training system support and services in Canada.

The memorandum of understanding was signed during a ceremony at the Canadian Pavilion on June 17 between Steve O’Bryan, vice president of F-35 Program Integration and Business Development, and Gene Colabatistto, group president, Military Products, Training and Services at CAE, and identifies CAE as a preferred provider of in-country F-35 training support, training system integration, operations and maintenance.

The federal government, which announced a commitment to the F-35 in 2010, has since referred the next-generation fighter program to a secretariat for review and says no decisions has been made on the CC-188 Hornet replacement.

Lockheed Martin and CAE have collaborated on previous programs, including the C-130 Hercules.