Belgium’s first three F-35 fighter jets land at Florennes airbase

The first F-35A Lightning IIs officially landed at Florennes military base in Belgium on Monday, following a two-stage ferry flight from the United States.

After crossing the Atlantic to the Azores in almost eight hours with a successful mid-air refuelling operation en route, the Lockheed Martin combat aircraft made a final four-hour flight to Belgium. A fourth aircraft remained in the Azores, grounded for technical reasons.

“Today, we are making history,” chief of defence airman General Vansina said at a ceremony welcoming the new aircraft, attended by King Philippe of Belgium and defence minister Theo Francken (N-VA). “The arrival of the F-35 marks our entry into a new era: that of a connected, agile and resolutely forward-looking Ministry of Defence,” he added.

The Belgian government decided to order 34 F-35s in October 2018 jets at a cost of €3.6 billion. A further order for 11 additional aircraft was made in the summer of 2025. Belgium will have a total fleet of 45 of the state-of-the-art aircraft within a few years, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.

Employing stealth technology, which makes it difficult to detect, the aircraft also possesses advanced sensors that fuse data to give the pilot a complete view of the battlefield, it added. “Capable of intercepting drones, conducting precision strikes and instantly sharing information with allies, it places Belgium at the forefront of modern air capabilities.”

The new fifth-generation combat aircraft will replace Belgium’s aging fleet of F-16s, which have been in service for over 40 years.

But the Belgian government’s choice of the Lockheed Martin aircraft was not without controversy, with criticism voiced about their cost and their range, reports RTBF.

When Charles Michel's government chose the American model, Dassault Aviation and Airbus lamented "a bad signal and a missed opportunity for European defence."

There was concern after Donald Trump's return to power that the aircraft could be disabled remotely. Belgian Air Force colonel Roeland Van Thienen, director of the F-35 programme, responded: “It's the best aircraft available on the market and we can use it with complete sovereignty. There is no kill switch.” He also pointed out that it was part of a multinational programme with 25% of these aircraft are produced in Europe.

To accommodate the new aircraft, the Florennes base in Namur province underwent renovation to house and maintain the aircraft. The new complex was inaugurated on Monday morning before the arrival of the first F-35s.

Eight of Belgium’s F-35s are already stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where they are being used to train Belgian pilots.

Photo: ©Adrien Muylaert