Lockheed Martin and the Belgian Air Force have delivered Belgium’s first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet to Florennes Air Base, where it will be stationed.
Belgium has placed a total order for 34 F-35A jets. So far, 11 aircraft have been delivered, eight of which are deployed at the Luke Air Force Base in the U.S. for pilot training and maintenance activities. In July, Belgium announced it would purchase 11 additional F-35As, bringing the total number of aircraft to 45.
Speaking at the ceremony, General Frederik Vansina, Chief of Staff of the Belgian Armed Forces, highlighted the protection of European airspace, stating: “With these aircraft, the power to defend freedom in the skies of Friendly Europe will be in our hands.”
Lieutenant General Geert De Decker, Commander of the Belgian Air Force, noted that the F-35 will elevate Belgium into the ranks of the world’s most advanced air forces.
Greg Ulmer, Head of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, described this development as providing a “critical advantage for allied air superiority” and emphasized the importance of long-standing defense cooperation with Belgium.
The F-35 program remains the most widely adopted fifth-generation fighter aircraft program in the world. Currently, 20 allied countries actively operate these jets; the total number of F-35s in service worldwide exceeds 1,245, with accumulated flight hours surpassing 1 million.
