While some NATO members, such as Portugal or France, have turned their noses to American military sales in lieu of domestic production, Belgium remains all-in on the F-35.
President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs, coupled with his push that NATO members dramatically increase defense spending, have caused some European partners and allies to rethink their respective commitment to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
Belgium remains all-in on the fifth-generation stealth fighter, yet it seeks to have its final assembly in Italy rather than the USA.
In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken acknowledged that he had contacted his Italian counterpart to determine whether final production of the F-35 could be managed in Italy at the Cameri FACO facility. Francken suggested that part of the motivation would be to create additional European jobs.
“I did ask the Italian Defence minister if we could produce them in Italy and not in the United States, that would also create European jobs,” the defense chief explained.
Belgium Integrates the F-35 into Its Military
In 2018, Belgium officially became the thirteenth country to adopt the F-35. Its program of records calls for the acquisition of thirty-four stealth fighters, which will replace the Belgian Air Component’s fleet of fifty-four F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The contract was initially valued at €3.6 billion but was subsequently increased to €4 billion. It included pilot training, maintenance through 2030, and infrastructure upgrades.
Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but finally began on AY-01 in 2022. A year later, the aircraft was presented to the Belgian military at a ceremony at aerospace giant Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility.
The first Belgian F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the multirole Joint Strike Fighter program, arrived last December at the United States Air Force’s Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona. The Air Force announced then that it would be used to train the “initial cadre” of Belgian pilots.
Additional F-35s are on track to be delivered this year. Francken has suggested that if the order is increased beyond the initial 34 of record, those aircraft should be produced in Europe.
Trump Sours the F-35 Deal for European Partners
Trump’s recent actions and comments likely influenced the Belgian minister’s calls for the F-35 to be assembled in Italy, but there is more to the story.
“Despite initial expectations, the economic returns for Belgian companies from the F-35 procurement have not met projections. In 2018, then-Minister of Economy Kris Peeters stated that the acquisition would pay for itself through contracts awarded to the Belgian aerospace sector. However, by mid-2022, these contracts had reached only €700 million, less than 20% of the procurement cost,” Army Recognition reported.
Even as the returns are smaller than Antwerp likely expected, the program is too far along for Belgium to change course.
“Belgium has initiated infrastructure upgrades at Florennes and Kleine-Brogel air bases. The upgrades are estimated at €275 million and include new hangars, four simulator rooms, maintenance facilities for six aircraft, sixteen covered aircraft stands, a Quick Reaction Alert zone, and accommodation for pilots and technicians,” the Army Recognition report added.
The F-35 in Asia and Europe
F-35s are now being assembled at the Cameri FACO facility, which is Italian-based and operated by Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin. Along with the aerospace giant’s Fort Worth facility, it is one of three production centers for the fifth-gen fighter, the other being Nagoya, Japan.
Cameri produces the F-35A variant and the F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) models for the Italian Air Force and Navy, and the Lightning IIs ordered by the Netherlands. The first Italian F-35 was completed in March 2015, while the first Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 was unveiled at a ceremony in September 2019.
Several European nations supply the aircraft’s components, but only the UK is a “Level 1” partner, contributing software and the vertical lift engine system for the F-35B model. Approximately 30 percent of the Lightning II is sourced from European suppliers.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Christopher Chambers.
