Although Belgian pilots received their first F-35s last year, those aircraft remained in the United States for training. Only now, seven years after the contract was signed, have the new jets arrived on Belgian soil.
The aircraft were delivered to Florennes Air Base, where they will enter service with the 1st Squadron. They are expected to achieve full operational readiness for quick-reaction missions by 2027.
Read more: Belgium to Deliver the F-16 Fighters to Ukraine as Early as Next Month
At the same time, Belgium plans to keep its existing F-16s in service until 2028, when they will be fully replaced by F-35s. This gradual transition will allow the Air Component to modernize its fleet while maintaining combat capability.
The older F-16s will be progressively phased out and transferred to Ukraine — a plan confirmed by the agreed transfer schedule, which runs until 2028.
Timely delivery by Lockheed Martin remains crucial. Under the original agreement, the U.S. manufacturer was to begin handing over F-35s to Belgium in 2023. However, the first aircraft were completed only in 2024 and used for pilot training in the United States — a standard procedure.
The first F-35 intended for direct delivery to Belgium rolled out of the factory in early June 2025, bearing the serial number FL009. The initial batch delivered to Belgian territory consists of four aircraft.
Thanks to this delivery, Belgium is now expected to begin transferring combat-ready F-16s to Ukraine as early as 2026, reinforcing Ukraine's air fleet and enabling additional sorties.
In total, Belgium ordered 34 F-35A aircraft under a contract signed in October 2018 — seven years ago. Recently, it was decided that this number is insufficient, and the country now plans to acquire an additional 11 aircraft.
Read more: Ukrainian Air Force Showcases F-16 Fighter Jets in Action During Latest russian Attack
