In the United States, a new group of Belgian pilots has flown the F-35 fighter jet for the first time.
They are the first pilots who did not previously fly F-16s, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
Until now, pilots of the ageing F-16 fighter jets were retrained for the F-35, a fifth-generation fighter of which Belgium ordered 34 to replace the F-16s.
However, there are also pilots in training who are being prepared directly for the F-35. The first of these has now completed its maiden flight.
These are pilots who were trained within the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program in the US.
Following that training, they underwent several months of theoretical training, simulator training, and tactical preparation specifically for the F-35.
Now that the first flight is behind them, the next phase of training follows, involving formation flights, tactical interceptions, advanced sensor management, and ultimately full missions.
The conversion and training of Belgian pilots for the F-35 takes place at the US Air Force Base Luke in the state of Arizona, where some Belgian F-35s are stationed.
In mid-October, the first aircraft also landed on Belgian soil, at the Florennes air base. Belgium intends to order 11 additional F-35s.
