After a nearly twelve-hour transatlantic flight via the Azores, the first three F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters acquired by Belgium from the United States finally landed at Florennes Air Base. With the introduction of these new military capabilities, Brussels takes a decisive step toward the transition to fifth-generation airpower and strengthens its combat aviation within the NATO framework.
In July 2025, the Belgian government ratified the purchase of eleven additional F-35A aircraft, raising the total number of stealth fighters to 45, under an agreement originally signed in 2018 for 34 units. With this reinforcement, Belgium ensures the presence of its fleet at Florennes and Kleine-Brogel, consolidates a permanent quick reaction alert, and maintains a crew rotation program at Luke Air Force Base to accelerate pilot qualification — with the goal of certifying more than sixty aircrew members by 2030.
To prepare for the arrival of the new aircraft, Florennes Air Base completed an ambitious modernization program that included the construction of specialized hangars, state-of-the-art maintenance workshops, and the implementation of an intensive training program in the United States for Belgian pilots and technicians.
During the arrival ceremony, Chief of Defense General Pilot Thierry Vansina emphasized that “today we are making history” by introducing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The commander of the 1st Squadron, known by the callsign ‘Cortex’, highlighted that the F-35A brings unmatched stealth capabilities and sensor fusion, making it the cornerstone of Belgium’s and NATO’s integrated air defense.
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