Belgium’s role in the future of European airpower and NATO deterrence strategy, Economy Minister David Clarinval confirmed the purchase of 11 additional Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets, increasing Belgium’s future fleet to 45 aircraft. The decision, announced during a high-profile interview with RTBF’s La Première, follows protracted inter-party negotiations that unblocked several contentious policy areas, including fiscal reform and unemployment restructuring. Clarinval emphasized that the multi-billion-euro defense expansion—estimated to top €30 billion over the next decade—will not be accompanied by a new defense tax, sparking both praise and criticism across the Belgian political spectrum.
The F-35 announcement signals a major policy milestone for the De Wever government and further entrenches Belgium in a fast-evolving European security architecture shaped by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, NATO’s strategic realignment, and growing debates over transatlantic dependence.
The announcement has stirred political and economic debates, not least because Clarinval categorically rejected a proposed “defense tax” advanced by Maxime Prévot of Les Engagés. Instead, the Belgian government plans to finance the acquisition through a complex mix of sovereign debt issuance, targeted spending reductions, and the sale of state-owned assets—including shares of BNP Paribas.
Critics have argued that this financing strategy may strain long-term fiscal resilience, especially amid parallel commitments to labor market reform, green energy transition, and digital innovation. However, proponents, including Defense Minister Theo Francken, have defended the move as essential to meet NATO capability targets and preserve national and alliance-level security.
“This is not just an aircraft purchase,” Francken stated in a recent press briefing. “This is a foundational investment in our national defense architecture, our NATO responsibilities, and the future of European deterrence. The F-35 offers unmatched interoperability, stealth, and nuclear capability—all crucial in our current threat environment.”
Belgium’s path to the F-35 program began in earnest in 2017 when it launched a competitive tender to replace its aging fleet of F-16s. Five aircraft were initially in contention: Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35A, Dassault’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab’s Gripen.
By mid-2017, Boeing and Saab had exited the competition, citing non-competitive tender conditions. The French government made a direct, unsolicited proposal involving the Rafale, aiming for broader industrial cooperation outside the formal tender structure. While politically significant, the offer was ultimately sidelined, and the Ministry of Defence focused on a head-to-head evaluation of the F-35 and the Eurofighter.
In October 2018, Belgium officially selected the F-35A. The decision, backed by an extensive seven-criteria evaluation, cited the aircraft’s superior interoperability, lifecycle costs, combat capability, and logistical infrastructure. The €4 billion initial deal included not just the aircraft but also supporting infrastructure, training, and maintenance until 2030. A U.S. Foreign Military Sale (FMS) valued at $6.53 billion was approved earlier that year.
Despite allegations of a predetermined outcome, an internal audit and parliamentary review found that the selection adhered to all procurement laws and tender protocols. Production of the first aircraft began in 2020, with deliveries continuing through the late 2020s.
Under NATO’s capability development plans, Belgium is expected to provide a fleet of 55 deployable F-35A fighters to fulfill obligations that span three operational domains:
- Air Policing – Regular participation in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission and reinforcement of domestic Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) capability.
- Coalition Deployments – Participation in NATO expeditionary forces and rapid response initiatives.
- Nuclear Deterrence – Fulfillment of Belgium’s nuclear sharing role, including maintenance of delivery capability for U.S. B61 nuclear bombs stationed at Kleine Brogel Air Base.
Currently, Belgium maintains a stockpile of 10–15 B61 bombs under NATO’s nuclear sharing framework. Its F-16s are certified for nuclear delivery, a role that will transfer to the F-35A, which is uniquely capable of integrating with nuclear payloads while preserving stealth.
With the initial order of 34 aircraft falling short of the required operational threshold, the June 2025 coalition negotiations focused heavily on how to scale Belgium’s F-35 presence without overextending the budget. While NATO advocates for a 69-aircraft fleet, financial limitations reduced the expansion to just 11 aircraft—seen as a pragmatic compromise. Minister Francken left open the possibility of further expansions in the 2030s, should budgetary and geopolitical conditions permit.
One of the most politically significant elements of the new agreement is the decision to assemble the 11 new jets not in the United States, but in Italy. Final assembly will take place at the Cameri FACO (Final Assembly and Check-Out) facility in northern Italy, co-managed by Leonardo and Lockheed Martin.
This strategic shift, first proposed by Francken in bilateral discussions with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and confirmed with Lockheed Martin leadership in May 2025, aims to bolster European industrial participation and qualify the aircraft as “European-made” under EU defense financing rules.
The Cameri plant has already produced F-35s for Italy and the Netherlands and is NATO’s designated center for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MRO&U) for F-35 airframes. While its annual output is lower than Lockheed’s main Fort Worth facility, unit costs are deemed comparable.
Francken has positioned this move as a step toward greater European strategic autonomy: “Our assembly decision is a message to both our allies and our industries: Belgium believes in a strong, self-sufficient European defense capability.”
At the time of the 2018 procurement, Belgian officials projected that industrial participation in the F-35 program could generate up to €4 billion in economic benefits. However, by 2022, actual returns stood at a modest €700 million. A revised offset agreement signed in 2024 aims to stabilize returns at €66 million annually over 40 years, totaling €2.7 billion.
Belgian companies involved in the program:
- SABCA – Produces horizontal stabilizers and fuselage components.
- Asco Industries – Manufactures titanium spars for flaperons.
- ILIAS Solutions – Provides logistics and fleet management software.
Meanwhile, infrastructure upgrades to support the F-35 program at Florennes and Kleine Brogel are budgeted at €275 million. These include new hardened aircraft shelters, training simulators, maintenance hangars, and upgraded pilot accommodations. Thirty F-16s are scheduled for transfer to Ukraine beginning in 2026, marking a full transition to the F-35 as Belgium’s primary combat platform.
Belgium’s F-35 participation reflects the broader European entanglement in what is technically a U.S.-led program but increasingly built on continental cooperation.
- UK – Rear fuselage, ejection seats, and vertical lift fans.
- Italy – Wing production and final assembly at Cameri.
- Germany – Center fuselage construction via Rheinmetall and Northrop Grumman at a €200 million Weeze plant.
- Denmark – Radar housings and wing pylons via Terma.
- Netherlands – Radar modules and tail sections.
- Finland – Fuselage parts and F135 engine MRO center via Patria.
Approximately 30% of each F-35’s components are now sourced from Europe. Belgium argues this makes the aircraft a genuinely transatlantic platform, not merely a U.S. export. Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Minister Francken have reiterated that such multinational participation allows Belgium to claim strategic autonomy while upholding its alliance obligations.
