First Belgian F-35As arrive at Florennes Air Base
After a wait that seemed like forever, the first 3 F-35A Lightning IIs of the Belgian Air Force arrived in Belgium. The first new jets were delivered a few years ago, but remained at Luke AFB in the US to train both the pilots and ground crew. Counting the second order that was confirmed early in 2025, the total number of jets that were bought sits at 45. The first 3 jets – FL-009, FL-010 and FL-012 landed at their home base after a stop over on Friday October 10 at the Azores, where they landed in the rain, accompanied by a pair of MRTT tankers. A 4th jet, FL-011 also was scheduled to land at Florennes, but got stuck at the Azores with technical difficulties. The 3 other jets flew to Florennes AB where dignitaries welcomed them home. While they were ordered to replace the F-16s, the latter will continue to fly until at least 2029. After the units at Florennes AB are operational, the final F-35As will be delivered to Kleine Brogel Air Base, beginning in 2027. Belgium is one of the 20 countries that has ordered the F-35A Lightning II, with 5 more countries also ordering the F-35B. The carrier based F-35C will only be operated by the US Navy.
