FLORENNES— Belgium has received three additional Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters at Florennes Air Base, expanding its in-country fifth-generation fleet to seven aircraft.
The arrival marks another stage in the Belgian Air Force’s transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-35A and could facilitate the first transfer of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine in 2026. The three aircraft arrived after departing the United States on September 15 and transiting through the Azores before reaching Belgium.
Florennes Air Base does not have an IATA airport code; its aviation identifier is EBFS, while the Belgian Air Force is a military operator rather than an IATA-designated airline. The latest arrivals bring the number of Belgian F-35As based domestically to seven, while eight additional aircraft remain in the United States for pilot and maintenance training.
Belgium Adds F-35 Fleet Grows
Belgium selected the F-35A in 2018 and has an existing program of record for 34 aircraft. The first three F-35As reached Florennes in October 2025, establishing the type at the Belgian base and beginning the country’s transition toward a fifth-generation fighter fleet.
With the latest deliveries, 15 Belgian F-35As have been manufactured or delivered into the training and operational pipeline: seven are now in Belgium, and eight are stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The U.S.-based aircraft support the training of Belgian pilots and technicians before they transition to operations in Europe.
Belgian Defence expects the F-35 force to reach full operational capability by 2030. The service also plans to establish F-35 operations at Kleine-Brogel in 2027, expanding the infrastructure available for the new fighter.
F-16 Transfer To Ukraine
The arrival of additional F-35s is significant because Belgium has linked the retirement of its F-16s to the introduction of their replacements.
Under an updated plan reported in Belgian media and confirmed by the defense minister’s office, Belgium intends to transfer 53 F-16s to Ukraine through 2029.
The reported schedule calls for seven aircraft to be transferred in 2026, followed by five in 2027, 14 in 2028, and 27 in 2029.
Four of the aircraft allocated for the initial transfer have already been withdrawn from Belgian operational service and are being used to support Ukrainian maintenance training, Defense News flagged.
F-35 Replaces Belgian F-16s
Belgium’s F-16 transition is taking place as the country continues to operate its older fourth-generation fighters while introducing the F-35A.
The newer aircraft is designed to combine stealth, advanced sensors and networked combat capabilities, providing Belgium with a different operational platform for its future fighter force.
The latest F-35 delivery therefore does more than increase Belgium’s fifth-generation fleet.
It also provides additional capacity for the gradual retirement and transfer of F-16s, although the timing of individual Ukrainian deliveries remains linked to Belgian operational requirements and the pace of the F-35 transition.
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