A fourth F-35 fighter jet landed at the Florennes Air Base in Belgium on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Defence announced in a statement. It joins a first group of three F-35s that arrived about 10 days ago.
The jet had been stationed in the Azores, where all F-35s make a stopover during their Transatlantic transfer from Fort Worth, Texas. Initially unable to join the other three jets due to a technical issue, it has now successfully arrived at the base.
“With this arrival, the first group of four Belgian F-35s is now complete,” the Defence Ministry stated.
Belgium has been operating eight F-35s since early 2025 from Luke Air Base, Arizona, where the Belgian pilots undergo training on the aircraft.
The introduction of the F-35 is part of the Defence Ministry’s modernisation programme, aimed at replacing the country’s ageing fleet of F-16s after 40 years of service.
Belgium has already ordered 34 F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin at a cost of €4.5 billion. The government recently approved the purchase of an additional 11 aircraft.
