First Belgian F-35s Arrive In-Country

Belgium has welcomed the arrival of its first Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to be based in-country.

Three F-35s arrived at Florennes Air Base on Oct. 13, marking the type’s official incorporation into the Belgian Air Force.

Belgium’s first F-35 was delivered to Luke AFB, Arizona, in December 2024 to support pilot training there and eight will continue to be based there.

The arrival events should have involved four aircraft. One was left behind for an unknown reason in Lajes in the Azores, where the F-35s and the supporting NATO Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport stopped en route to Belgium.

Belgium currently has 34 F-35As on order but announced plans in July to make a top-up order for an additional 11 aircraft, making a total of 45. As the F-35s arrive they will replace General Dynamics F-16s, which Belgium will transfer to Ukraine. The 26 Belgium-based aircraft will be split between two bases—Florennes and Kleine Brogel. Both bases are receiving new infrastructure to support the F-35 and Kleine Brogel is set to receive its first F-35 in 2027.

“The arrival of the F-35 heralds a new chapter in Belgian military history,” the Belgian defense ministry said. “In a context of international tensions, marked by Russian aggression and global instability, this choice of aircraft illustrates the [Belgian] Ministry of Defense’s determination to remain a reliable NATO ally and actively contribute to collective security.”

Of the 26 aircraft based in Belgium, four will be dedicated to the Benelux Quick Reaction Alert mission, policing the skies of Belgium and the Netherlands, with both countries taking turns performing the task every four months.

Eventually, Belgium’s F-35s will also take on the nuclear deterrence Dual Capable Aircraft mission from the F-16s, a role that Belgian officials generally do not disclose.

As part of the arrival ceremony, Belgian companies, Safran Aero Boosters and BMT Aerospace announced pacts with Pratt & Whitney, the manufacturer of the F135 engine that powers the F-35. The trio will work jointly on a research and technology project that will work on a “manufacturing concept of the engine’s major components.” Such initiatives, industry officials say, “will strengthen Belgium’s industrial participation in the F-35 program.”