Belgium, gradually transitioning to fifth-generation F-35 fighters from Lockheed Martin, continues considering orders for additional aircraft.
The Belgian government approved the desire to purchase 11 more F-35As back in July 2025. Emphasis was placed on their final production taking place at facilities in Italy, where aircraft are assembled for Italian and Dutch air forces.
Read more: Sweden Picks Rheinmetall Seasnake 30 System Over Saab and Bofors for Its CB 90 Fleet
Belgium has not simply maintained this idea but is actively conducting preparatory work toward signing a contract expected in 2026. Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed this in an interview with Breaking Defense.
Defense Express notes that if the order is finalized, the Belgian Air Force will expand its fleet to 45 fighters, following the April 2020 order for 34 F-35s. This procurement replaced approximately 50 F-16s then in service with their air force, with plans to complete re-equipment by 2028.
Delivery problems with new fighters have pushed the timeline rightward. Belgium formally has 11 new F-35s now, but eight of these fighters remain in the U.S., serving for pilot and technician training.
If a firm contract for 11 more fifth-generation fighters is signed, Belgium will likely receive them in the 2030s. The country must also prepare a significant sum, as the first 34 F-35s cost Belgium approximately €4.5 billion according to available data about €132 million per aircraft in a comprehensive package. Six years later, F-35 costs have jumped, as evidenced by the Czech contract, so Belgium should expect the price for 11 fighters to approach €2 billion.
Preparations for the imminent signing of the new order proceed despite ongoing debate about an alleged F-35 remote kill switch, which does not exist, unlike the very real critical dependence on the U.S. for software updates, repair, and fighter maintenance. The U.S. genuinely holds what makes the F-35 a stealth aircraft in its hands not the coating or shape, but Mission Data Files.
Despite the U.S. no longer being a security ally for Europe, F-35 procurement continues. Moreover, despite direct threats regarding the 51st state, Canada has also approved funding for a second batch of F-35s.
Read more: Footage Shows Ukrainian F-16s Shooting Down Shaheds With APKWS II for the First Time — Enabling Mass Low-Cost Interceptions
