The first Belgian F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters have landed at Florennes air base in Namur province after a direct flight from the United States.
The arrival marks a historic milestone for the Belgian Air Force and marks the start of the gradual replacement of the F-16 fleet — aircraft that are scheduled to be handed over to Ukraine in the coming years.
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The Belgian Ministry of Defense broadcast the F-35’s arrival live, highlighting the symbolic significance of the moment. The aircraft came from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where Belgian pilots and technicians have been training in recent months in collaboration with the US Air Force’s 312th Squadron.
Now on European soil, the F-35s will begin a period of operational evaluation and integration before officially entering service in 2026.
Gradual replacement of the F-16 and deliveries to Ukraine
Belgium initially ordered 34 F-35As in 2018 to replace its F-16AM/BM fleet. The number was later increased to 45 aircraft, to be divided between the Florennes and Kleine-Brogel air bases. The schedule calls for all F-16s to be replaced by 2028.
According to the delivery schedule, the jets will arrive in batches across the decade: four aircraft between 2023 and 2027, five between 2028 and 2029 and the rest by 2030. However, Belgium experienced delays after rejecting two F-35As in late 2023 due to software certification issues — pushing back the original schedule.
Initial operational readiness is planned for mid-2027, while full combat capability is expected to be achieved by the end of 2030.
Support for Ukraine
With the arrival of the F-35, the Belgian government intends to accelerate the delivery of up to 30 F-16 jets to Ukraine by 2028, becoming the largest donor of these aircraft types among Western allies.
In April 2025, Prime Minister Bart De Wever confirmed that two F-16s would be delivered this year and another two in 2026. “We promised to become the largest supplier of F-16s to Ukraine — and we will keep our word. Further deliveries will follow once the F-35s are fully operational. There are no delays on our part,” De Wever said.
The exchange represents not only technological progress in Belgian aviation, but also a strengthening of the Western alliance in military support for Ukraine.
Source and images: Instagram @belgian_air_force | Militarnyi | Wikimedia. This content was created using AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
