Belgium to finally order 11 additional F-35 fighter jets from the US after new coalition agreement
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Belgium has officially confirmed the decision to purchase 11 additional F-35A fighter jets, building on the previous order of 34 aircraft signed in 2018. The announcement was made by Economy Minister David Clarinval during an interview on July 1, 2025, on La Première, following the federal government’s agreement on a capital gains tax. The adoption of the tax ended a political stalemate within the ruling coalition, unblocking several other reform files, including labor market reforms, unemployment benefit restructuring, and fiscal policy adjustments. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
In October 2018, Belgium selected the F-35, citing advantages across all seven evaluation criteria and a final cost of €4 billion, including infrastructure and maintenance support through 2030. (Picture source: US Air Force)
According to Clarinval, the total defense effort will amount to over €30 billion over the next ten years and will not trigger a new defense tax. He rejected proposals for new taxation, such as the “defense tax” proposed by Maxime Prévot of Les Engagés, and indicated the government will rely on debt instruments, state asset sales including shares of BNP Paribas, and spending reductions. The confirmation of the new aircraft purchase followed a multi-night negotiation session involving parties from across the coalition and is expected to be formally ratified in a future Council of Ministers session.
Belgium’s involvement in the F-35 program began with its official launch of the F-16 replacement tender in 2017, during which five aircraft types were initially considered: the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-35A Lightning II, the Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Saab Gripen. By mid-2017, Boeing and Saab withdrew from the competition, and the French government submitted a noncompliant Rafale-based proposal directly to the Belgian government, offering broader cooperation instead of responding to the structured tender. The Ministry of Defence acknowledged the French offer but considered only the Eurofighter and F-35 for final evaluation. In October 2018, Belgium selected the F-35, citing advantages across all seven evaluation criteria and a final cost of €4 billion, including infrastructure and maintenance support through 2030. The United States had previously approved the Foreign Military Sale in January 2018, with a maximum estimated value of $6.53 billion. While leaks in 2018 and 2019 led to speculation about a pre-determined outcome, both a parliamentary hearing and subsequent audit concluded that the competition had been conducted within legal frameworks. In April 2020, the procurement contract was signed, and production of the first aircraft began in the United States.
In the context of NATO’s capability planning, Belgium is required to provide 55 deployable F-35A aircraft to ensure coverage for national air policing, NATO Baltic Air Policing missions, and participation in the nuclear sharing arrangement. Around 10 to 15 U.S. B61 nuclear bombs are stationed at Belgium’s Kleine Brogel Air Base, and Belgian F-16s have maintained nuclear delivery certification. The F-35A will inherit this role. The Belgian Air Force must maintain a simultaneous capacity for domestic surveillance, coalition deployments, and readiness for nuclear deterrence. In light of these missions and projected maintenance and training needs, NATO expects Belgium to eventually operate 69 aircraft. In June 2025, the De Wever government evaluated the feasibility of acquiring 21 additional aircraft. However, due to financial constraints, the decision was reduced to 11, bringing the projected total fleet to 45. Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed the purchase and emphasized that these new aircraft are required by alliance commitments. He also stated that future governments may expand the fleet further, depending on budget availability and NATO guidance. Deliveries of these 11 jets are expected only after 2033, following the completion of the initial batch.
One of the key components of the new agreement is the decision to assemble the 11 additional F-35s in Italy at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility, operated by Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin. This follows a formal request made in April 2025 by Minister Francken to his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto and confirmed in discussions with Lockheed Martin’s leadership in May. The Belgian government seeks to categorize these aircraft as “European-made” to meet EU eligibility criteria for defense-related borrowing mechanisms. The Cameri facility, which previously assembled F-35s for Italy and the Netherlands, is also the designated European center for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MRO&U) of F-35 airframes. Though its annual production rate is lower than Fort Worth’s, its cost per unit is considered comparable. The Belgian decision to shift final assembly from the U.S. to Italy aligns with domestic political goals to increase European industrial participation and mitigate dependency on non-EU production capacity. Belgium’s defense authorities are currently reviewing how this shift could affect long-term financing structures.
Belgium’s participation in the F-35 industrial supply chain has produced a lower economic return than initially projected. At the time of the original 2018 procurement, Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters estimated the potential return for Belgian industry at €3.6 billion, revised to €4 billion. By 2022, only €700 million in contracts had materialized. A revised offset agreement signed in 2024 projects annual returns of €66 million over 40 years, for a total of €2.7 billion. Current participants in the Belgian industry include SABCA, which produces horizontal tail components and fuselage longerons; Asco, which manufactures titanium flaperon spars integrated by Fokker in the Netherlands; and ILIAS Solutions, which supplies software for logistics and fleet management. Infrastructure upgrades at Florennes and Kleine Brogel are budgeted at €275 million to accommodate the F-35, including new hangars, hardened shelters, simulator buildings, maintenance zones, QRA zones, and accommodations. Thirty F-16s are scheduled for transfer to Ukraine starting in 2026, as the F-35A becomes the core fighter platform of the Belgian Air Component.
European countries contribute approximately 30 percent of the F-35 program’s components. The United Kingdom supplies the ejection seat, rear fuselage, pilot controls, and vertical lift fan system for the B variant. Italy’s Leonardo produces wings and manages final assembly at Cameri. Germany’s Rheinmetall, working with Northrop Grumman, has constructed a €200 million facility in Weeze for the production of center fuselages, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2026. Denmark’s Terma has delivered over 30,000 parts, including radar housings and pylons. The Netherlands provides radar modules and tail sections, while Finland’s Patria will produce fuselage components and operate an F135 maintenance center. Belgium’s argument that the F-35 is not exclusively American-made rests on these contributions and forms part of its rationale for assembling new units in Europe. Prime Minister De Wever and Defense Minister Francken have described the program as multilateral and emphasized that its future is not contingent on any single country’s political climate. Belgian officials continue to argue that F-35 procurement aligns with strategic autonomy goals and supports the country’s commitments to NATO and the European Union.
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Belgium has officially confirmed the decision to purchase 11 additional F-35A fighter jets, building on the previous order of 34 aircraft signed in 2018. The announcement was made by Economy Minister David Clarinval during an interview on July 1, 2025, on La Première, following the federal government’s agreement on a capital gains tax. The adoption of the tax ended a political stalemate within the ruling coalition, unblocking several other reform files, including labor market reforms, unemployment benefit restructuring, and fiscal policy adjustments.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
In October 2018, Belgium selected the F-35, citing advantages across all seven evaluation criteria and a final cost of €4 billion, including infrastructure and maintenance support through 2030. (Picture source: US Air Force)
According to Clarinval, the total defense effort will amount to over €30 billion over the next ten years and will not trigger a new defense tax. He rejected proposals for new taxation, such as the “defense tax” proposed by Maxime Prévot of Les Engagés, and indicated the government will rely on debt instruments, state asset sales including shares of BNP Paribas, and spending reductions. The confirmation of the new aircraft purchase followed a multi-night negotiation session involving parties from across the coalition and is expected to be formally ratified in a future Council of Ministers session.
Belgium’s involvement in the F-35 program began with its official launch of the F-16 replacement tender in 2017, during which five aircraft types were initially considered: the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-35A Lightning II, the Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Saab Gripen. By mid-2017, Boeing and Saab withdrew from the competition, and the French government submitted a noncompliant Rafale-based proposal directly to the Belgian government, offering broader cooperation instead of responding to the structured tender. The Ministry of Defence acknowledged the French offer but considered only the Eurofighter and F-35 for final evaluation. In October 2018, Belgium selected the F-35, citing advantages across all seven evaluation criteria and a final cost of €4 billion, including infrastructure and maintenance support through 2030. The United States had previously approved the Foreign Military Sale in January 2018, with a maximum estimated value of $6.53 billion. While leaks in 2018 and 2019 led to speculation about a pre-determined outcome, both a parliamentary hearing and subsequent audit concluded that the competition had been conducted within legal frameworks. In April 2020, the procurement contract was signed, and production of the first aircraft began in the United States.
In the context of NATO’s capability planning, Belgium is required to provide 55 deployable F-35A aircraft to ensure coverage for national air policing, NATO Baltic Air Policing missions, and participation in the nuclear sharing arrangement. Around 10 to 15 U.S. B61 nuclear bombs are stationed at Belgium’s Kleine Brogel Air Base, and Belgian F-16s have maintained nuclear delivery certification. The F-35A will inherit this role. The Belgian Air Force must maintain a simultaneous capacity for domestic surveillance, coalition deployments, and readiness for nuclear deterrence. In light of these missions and projected maintenance and training needs, NATO expects Belgium to eventually operate 69 aircraft. In June 2025, the De Wever government evaluated the feasibility of acquiring 21 additional aircraft. However, due to financial constraints, the decision was reduced to 11, bringing the projected total fleet to 45. Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed the purchase and emphasized that these new aircraft are required by alliance commitments. He also stated that future governments may expand the fleet further, depending on budget availability and NATO guidance. Deliveries of these 11 jets are expected only after 2033, following the completion of the initial batch.
One of the key components of the new agreement is the decision to assemble the 11 additional F-35s in Italy at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility, operated by Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin. This follows a formal request made in April 2025 by Minister Francken to his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto and confirmed in discussions with Lockheed Martin’s leadership in May. The Belgian government seeks to categorize these aircraft as “European-made” to meet EU eligibility criteria for defense-related borrowing mechanisms. The Cameri facility, which previously assembled F-35s for Italy and the Netherlands, is also the designated European center for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MRO&U) of F-35 airframes. Though its annual production rate is lower than Fort Worth’s, its cost per unit is considered comparable. The Belgian decision to shift final assembly from the U.S. to Italy aligns with domestic political goals to increase European industrial participation and mitigate dependency on non-EU production capacity. Belgium’s defense authorities are currently reviewing how this shift could affect long-term financing structures.
Belgium’s participation in the F-35 industrial supply chain has produced a lower economic return than initially projected. At the time of the original 2018 procurement, Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters estimated the potential return for Belgian industry at €3.6 billion, revised to €4 billion. By 2022, only €700 million in contracts had materialized. A revised offset agreement signed in 2024 projects annual returns of €66 million over 40 years, for a total of €2.7 billion. Current participants in the Belgian industry include SABCA, which produces horizontal tail components and fuselage longerons; Asco, which manufactures titanium flaperon spars integrated by Fokker in the Netherlands; and ILIAS Solutions, which supplies software for logistics and fleet management. Infrastructure upgrades at Florennes and Kleine Brogel are budgeted at €275 million to accommodate the F-35, including new hangars, hardened shelters, simulator buildings, maintenance zones, QRA zones, and accommodations. Thirty F-16s are scheduled for transfer to Ukraine starting in 2026, as the F-35A becomes the core fighter platform of the Belgian Air Component.
European countries contribute approximately 30 percent of the F-35 program’s components. The United Kingdom supplies the ejection seat, rear fuselage, pilot controls, and vertical lift fan system for the B variant. Italy’s Leonardo produces wings and manages final assembly at Cameri. Germany’s Rheinmetall, working with Northrop Grumman, has constructed a €200 million facility in Weeze for the production of center fuselages, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2026. Denmark’s Terma has delivered over 30,000 parts, including radar housings and pylons. The Netherlands provides radar modules and tail sections, while Finland’s Patria will produce fuselage components and operate an F135 maintenance center. Belgium’s argument that the F-35 is not exclusively American-made rests on these contributions and forms part of its rationale for assembling new units in Europe. Prime Minister De Wever and Defense Minister Francken have described the program as multilateral and emphasized that its future is not contingent on any single country’s political climate. Belgian officials continue to argue that F-35 procurement aligns with strategic autonomy goals and supports the country’s commitments to NATO and the European Union.
