Belgium plans to buy 11 more American fifth-generation F-35A fighters to join the 35 jets already ordered but not yet delivered to Europe.
According to Belgium's Minister of Defense and Foreign Trade, Theo Francken, the additional aircraft will be manufactured in Italy. The contract's cost and signing date remain undisclosed.
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We’re gonna buy 11 extra F35’s, the best fighter jets of the world. They will be produced in Italy. @LockheedMartin @GuidoCrosetto pic.twitter.com/syA2TZFxjg — Theo Francken (@FranckenTheo) July 18, 2025
Currently, Belgium has 35 F-35A fighters ordered from the U.S. factory. Eight of these are already in use by the Belgian F-35 Conversion Unit (BEL F-35 CU) at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The ninth aircraft, now rolled out and prepared for its first flight, will be delivered to Europe soon, which may also be positive news for Ukraine's new F-16 deliveries.
The additional purchase addresses the insufficiency of the initial order to meet defense needs.
This decision has already sparked criticism from France, namely Dassault CEO Éric Trappier, prompting minister Francken to second-guess Belgium's commitment to the local sixth-generation fighter development initiative, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). More on that in a separate article.
Regardless, Belgium is not alone seeking to acquire F-35 recently. The Netherlands and Poland are reportedly considering similar decisions.
Then, the UK, aiming to maintain nuclear bomb capability, decided to buy F-35As alongside its F-35B orders, even as its Eurofighter Typhoon production line stalled.
After years of limited defense spending, Belgium has stepped up procurement of new systems, and this trend extends beyond just fighter jets. It manifests in the joint procurement program of NASAMS air defense with Luxembourg, announced in June 2025. The plan includes localizing missile production with the help of a local small arms manufacturer.
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