Belgian Air Force

Order of Battle · Belgium

Belgian Air Force

Luchtmacht · Force aérienne · Luftwaffe

The Belgian Air Force, called the Air Component from 2002 until it took back its old name in 2024, is a small NATO air arm with an outsized role: it lost almost everything in eighteen days in 1940, rebuilt itself in RAF squadrons, flew the Congo airlift and the Cold War front line, and in 2026 is swapping some forty F-16s — promised to Ukraine — for F-35As, the first of which reached Florennes in October 2025.

National markingThe roundel: a black centre, a yellow ring and a red outer ring
Low-visibilityThe same rings in subdued tones
60Combat aircraft
5Active air bases
1909Founded
25Types retired
Photo: Frans Berkelaar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
CountryBelgiumFounded1909StatusActiveHeadquartersEvere, BrusselsCommanderBruno Beeckmans
The story

The Belgian Air Force story: eighteen days in 1940, two RAF squadrons and a name taken back

1909–1918: balloons, Farmans and the Groupe de Chasse

Belgian military aviation dates its lineage to 1909 and a company of balloon handlers, and to the first military pilots’ brevets of 1910; by 1914 the Aviation Militaire had four squadrons of four Farmans each. Belgium spent the whole First World War holding a strip of Flanders behind the Yser, and its airmen fought from there. On 17 April 1915 Fernand Jacquet scored the first Belgian aerial victory; from March 1918 the fighter squadrons were grouped into a Groupe de Chasse that fought more than 700 combats and was credited with 71 confirmed and 50 probable victories. Its star was Willy Coppens, who was credited with 37 victories flying the French Hanriot HD.1 — 34 of them German observation balloons, a more dangerous target than it sounds — until an incendiary bullet shattered his leg on 14 October 1918. Coppens, Jacquet, André de Meulemeester, Edmond Thieffry and Jan Olieslagers are still the names Belgian squadrons remember.

May 1940: eighteen days, and an air arm destroyed

Between the wars the Aéronautique Militaire rearmed late and from too many suppliers. On paper it had 377 aircraft in May 1940, about 250 of them combat types, but only some 50 were of reasonably modern standard: Fairey Battles, Gladiators, a handful of Hurricanes and Fiat CR.42s alongside obsolete Fairey Foxes. Only 118 were serviceable on 10 May. The Luftwaffe struck the airfields that morning; around 83 Belgian aircraft, mostly trainers and hacks, were destroyed, and nine of the fifteen CR.42s at Brustem and three Hurricanes at Schaffen were lost on the ground. On 11 May nine Battles, escorted by six Gladiators, went for the Albert Canal bridges the Germans had seized; six Battles were destroyed, the other three badly damaged and four Gladiators shot down. The remnants flew 146 sorties in the first six days and 77 more to 28 May, when Belgium capitulated. It was brave and it was hopeless: the equipment decisions of the 1930s had lost the air war before it began.

1940–1946: the Belgians of 349 and 350 Squadrons

Belgian airmen who reached Britain served first as individuals in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, then in national squadrons. 350 Squadron formed at Valley in November 1941, the first RAF squadron manned by Belgians; 349 Squadron formed in Nigeria on 10 November 1942 with Tomahawks, was disbanded, and reformed at Wittering on 5 June 1943 with Spitfires. Both flew sweeps and escorts over occupied Europe, moved to the Continent after D-Day, and 350 Squadron’s Spitfire XIVs flew against the V-1 in 1944. The best-known Belgian of the period, Remy Van Lierde, was credited with six aircraft and 44 flying bombs and commanded an RAF squadron. The two squadrons came home to Belgian control in October 1946 and still exist, flying F-16s at Florennes and Kleine-Brogel: they are the direct link between the exile force and today’s service. How many Belgians served in the wartime RAF, and how many died, we could not verify from a primary source.

1946–1970: an independent service, the jets and the Congo

Military aviation became an autonomous force, independent of the army, on 15 October 1946, and took the name Force Aérienne / Luchtmacht in 1948. NATO money and British and American aircraft built it fast: Spitfire XIVs from 1947, Meteors from April 1949, 213 F-84G Thunderjets from 1952, then F-84F Thunderstreaks, Hunters and 53 CF-100 all-weather fighters. Belgians first went supersonic on 30 August 1955, and 112 F-104G and TF-104G Starfighters, all assembled by SABCA at Gosselies, arrived from 1963. The Congo was the other theatre. Belgium built the vast base at Kamina from 1952, trained pilots there, and when the colony’s independence collapsed into mutiny in July 1960 flew in troops with C-119 Flying Boxcars and sent armed Harvards into action. In 1964 Belgian paratroopers jumped on Stanleyville from American C-130s in Operation Dragon Rouge. The Mirage 5, ordered in 1968 and assembled by SABCA in Wallonia, gave the air force a clear-weather attack jet.

1975–2019: the F-16, the scandals and the expeditionary years

In 1975 Belgium joined the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway in choosing the F-16, and signed on 5 May 1977 for 116; 44 more followed in 1983, all assembled by SABCA. 349 Squadron was the first operational F-16 squadron in NATO. Belgium also bought C-130H Hercules in 1972 and, from 1978, 33 Alpha Jets. The dark side came in 1988: Agusta and Dassault paid bribes to win the A109 helicopter contract and an F-16 electronic warfare contract, and the scandal, entangled with the 1991 murder of the politician André Cools, ended with suspended sentences in 1998 for three former ministers, one of them the former NATO Secretary General Willy Claes, and for Serge Dassault. In 1996 a Belgian Hercules crashed at Eindhoven killing 34 people, most of them Dutch army musicians. After the Cold War the service shrank and went abroad: 12 F-16s over Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan from 2005, Libya in 2011, three F-16 campaigns against Islamic State between 2014 and 2021, and the Kabul evacuation of August 2021.

2018–2026: the F-35, Ukraine and a name taken back

In 2002 the separate armed services were merged into a single Belgian Defence and the air force became the Air Component (Luchtcomponent / Composante Air). On 25 October 2018 the government chose 34 F-35As for about four billion euro; in the background was the F-16’s NATO nuclear role at Kleine-Brogel, which Belgium has never officially acknowledged. The first Belgian F-35 flew at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on 12 December 2024, and the first three landed at Florennes on 13 October 2025; by September 2026 sixteen had been accepted, seven of them in Belgium. Since mid-2024 the service has again called itself the Belgian Air Force, Luchtmacht and Force Aérienne. It has promised its F-16s to Ukraine, but ties their release to F-35 arrivals, and none had been confirmed delivered by September 2026. The budget has jumped, MQ-9B drones and H145M helicopters have arrived, and a transport pilot, Maj. Gen. Bruno Beeckmans, took command in May 2026.

Between the wars the Aéronautique Militaire rearmed late and from too many suppliers. On paper it had 377 aircraft in May 1940, about 250 of them combat types, but only some 50 were of reasonably modern standard: Fairey Battles, Gladiators, a handful of Hurricanes and Fiat CR.42s alongside obsolete Fairey Foxes.Belgian Air Force · verified 2026-09-28
At a glance

The Belgian Air Force in numbers

Service

Native name
  • Luchtmacht (Dutch)
  • Force aérienne (French)
  • Luftwaffe (German)

Dutch and French forms as used on mil.be in 2026 (the French page capitalises Force Aérienne). Between January 2002 and 2024 the service was the Air Component: Luchtcomponent, Composante Air and, in German, Luftkomponente. mil.be has no German-language version, so the German form is not confirmed on the official site

Founded
1909The lineage starts with a balloon company in 1909; the Aviation Militaire followed in 1913 and flew four Farman squadrons in 1914. It became an autonomous service, independent of the army, on 15 October 1946
Part of
Belgian DefenceSince 2002 the air force is one of the components of a single, unified Belgian Defence rather than a separate service with its own general staff
Headquarters
Evere, BrusselsLocated with the Defence staff in Evere; the flying wings are at five air bases
Commander
Maj. Gen. Bruno BeeckmansSince 29 May 2026, succeeding Maj. Gen. Geert De Decker (20 March 2025 to May 2026). A C-130 and A400M transport pilot, the first chief without a fighter career
Minister of Defence
Theo FranckenMinister in the federal government that took office in 2025

Strength

Personnel
5,700The figure given on all three language versions of the official air force page
Combat aircraft
  • F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon — about 40 to 44
  • F-35A Lightning II — 16 accepted, 7 of them at Florennes

The F-16 count is contested: Wikipedia’s inventory gives 44, the minister said "more than 40" in June 2026, and jets are being withdrawn for Ukraine and training. F-35 figure at 26 September 2026

Transport
  • Airbus A400M Atlas — 7, plus 1 Luxembourg aircraft flown in a joint fleet
  • Dassault Falcon 7X — 2, leased
  • Airbus A330 MRTT — share in the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet

The C-130H left service on 17 December 2021

Helicopters
  • NH90 NFH — 4, SAR at Koksijde, to be retired
  • A109BA — about 10, retiring by end 2027
  • H145M — deliveries from 2026, 15 ordered

The four NH90 TTH were withdrawn in 2025 (sources give August or September)

Trainers
  • SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 — about 8

Advanced jet training has been done abroad since the Alpha Jet left: Belgian F-35 pilots train at Luke AFB. 18 Pilatus PC-7 MKX replace the SF.260 from 2028

Unmanned aircraft
  • MQ-9B SkyGuardian — 3 delivered of 4 ordered

First aircraft at Florennes on 18 August 2025; the second and third arrived in February 2026

Defence budget
20.1 billion euro in commitments (2026)The 2026 budget carries 20.109 billion euro of commitment credits and 10.767 billion euro of payment credits, with spending held at 2 per cent of GDP through 2033

Infrastructure

Air bases
  • Kleine-Brogel — 10th Tactical Wing, F-16
  • Florennes — 2nd Tactical Wing, F-16, F-35A, MQ-9B
  • Beauvechain — 1st Wing, helicopters and SF.260
  • Melsbroek — 15th Air Transport Wing, A400M, Falcon 7X
  • Koksijde — 40 Squadron, NH90 SAR

Five air bases, per the official site. Koksijde was earmarked for closure and reprieved in 2025

Closed air bases
  • Bierset (Liège) — military flying ended 2011
  • Chièvres — handed to SHAPE in 1967
  • Kamina, Congo — built from 1952

Other wartime and Cold War airfields not covered on this page

Quick Reaction Alert
15 minutes, 24/7A Benelux agreement of 4 March 2015 lets Belgian and Dutch fighters police each other’s airspace
NATO nuclear sharing
Kleine-Brogel, never officially confirmedA leaked NATO Parliamentary Assembly draft of 2019 listed the base among those storing US weapons; Belgium neither confirms nor denies
F-35 bases
Florennes (2025), Kleine-Brogel (from 2027)Full operational capability planned for 2030
Training abroad
Luke AFB, Arizona (F-35)Eight Belgian F-35As fly with the Belgian-American 312th Fighter Squadron at Luke
Structure

How the Belgian Air Force is organised

Four wings and a rescue base under one commander. Two tactical wings fly the fighters — the 10th at Kleine-Brogel and the 2nd at Florennes — the 15th Wing flies the transports from Melsbroek, and the 1st Wing at Beauvechain trains the pilots and flies the helicopters. Since 2002 the air force has been a component of a single Belgian Defence rather than a separate service.

BB

Major General (generaal-majoor vlieger / général-major aviateur)Bruno BeeckmansCommander of the Air Force · in office since 2026
Belgian Air ForceLuchtmacht / Force aérienne
Headquarters

Belgian Air Force

Luchtmacht / Force aérienne
Evere, Brussels

The Commander of the Air Force works from Evere in Brussels, with the Defence staff. Since 2002 the air force has been a component of a single, unified Belgian Defence rather than a separate service with its own general staff; it was the Air Component until it took back its old name in 2024.

Front line

10th Tactical Wing

10 W Tac
Kleine-Brogel

The F-16 wing at Kleine-Brogel: 31 Squadron, the Tigers, 349 Squadron and the F-16 Operational Conversion Unit. Next in line for the F-35A, from 2027.

Front line

2nd Tactical Wing

2 W Tac
Florennes

Florennes, the first Belgian F-35A base: 1 Squadron on the F-35A, 350 Squadron still on the F-16, 10 Squadron with the F-35 simulators and 2 Squadron with the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

Transport

15th Air Transport Wing

15 W Tpt
Melsbroek

Melsbroek, on the north side of Brussels Airport: 20 Squadron with the binational Belgian-Luxembourg A400M fleet and 21 Squadron with two leased Falcon 7Xs for government transport.

Training and helicopters

1st Wing

1 W
Beauvechain

Beauvechain: basic flying training on the SF.260, with the Pilatus PC-7 MKX due from 2028, and the helicopter wing, where the H145M is replacing the A109.

Search and rescue

40 Squadron

40ste Smaldeel
Koksijde

The NH90 NFH rescue helicopters on standby around the clock at Koksijde on the North Sea coast, a base earmarked for closure and reprieved in 2025.

In service

What the Belgian Air Force flies today

Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.

Type Role In service Since Units Notes
General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting FalconIn service Multirole fighter 44 1979 — About 40 to 44 in service: Wikipedia’s inventory gives 44, the minister said "more than 40" in June 2026.

More

160 were ordered (116 in 1977, 44 in 1983), serials FA-01 to FA-136 and FB-01 to FB-24.
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIIn service Stealth multirole fighter 16 2024 — 16 accepted by 26 September 2026 (FL001 to FL016): seven at Florennes, eight at Luke AFB and one, FL014, still in the United States.
Airbus A400M AtlasIn service Strategic and tactical transport 7 2020 — Seven Belgian (CT-02 to CT-08) plus Luxembourg’s CT-01, flown together by 20 Squadron.
Dassault Falcon 7XIn service VIP transport 2 2020 — Two, leased.
Airbus A330 MRTT (NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet)In service Tanker-transport — 2018 — Belgium buys flying hours in the pooled NATO fleet rather than owning airframes; a second Belgian-funded aircraft was due in mid-2026.
General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardianIn service ISR drone 3 2025 — Three delivered of four ordered; the first on 18 August 2025, the second and third in February 2026.
NHIndustries NH90 NFHIn service Search and rescue helicopter 4 2013 — Four delivered August 2013 to August 2015 (RN-01 to RN-04).
Agusta A109BA HirundoIn service Light utility helicopter 10 1992 — About ten left of 46 delivered January 1992 to February 1994.
Airbus Helicopters H145MIn service Light utility helicopter — 2026 — Deliveries under way from 2026; 15 for Defence, one a month to the end of 2027.
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260M/DIn service Basic trainer 8 — About eight in service (Wikipedia inventory).
F-16AM/BM44
F-35A16
A109BA10
SF.2608
A400M7
NH90 NFH4
MQ-9B3
Falcon 7X2

On order

Type Ordered First delivery Notes
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIOn order 18 2024 The remaining 18 of the 34 ordered after the October 2018 selection; 16 had been accepted by September 2026. Four more are due at Kleine-Brogel in the first half of 2027.
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (additional batch)On order 11 Eleven more, to bring the fleet to 45, are funded in the 2026 budget; a signed contract had not been confirmed by September 2026, and delivery dates are not fixed.
Airbus Helicopters H145MOn order 15 2026 15 for Defence (plus two for the federal police), ordered through NSPA in June 2024; three more approved in November 2025. Delivery one a month to the end of 2027 to replace the A109.
Pilatus PC-7 MKXOn order 18 2028 Replacing the SF.260 for basic training at Beauvechain from 2028.
Cessna 408 SkyCourier (special operations version)On order 5 2027 Approved on 23 December 2025 for 322.3 million euro including four years of support; modified by Sabena Engineering and Sonaca for 23 Squadron "Devil", reactivated at Beauvechain in July 2026 to support special forces.
General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardianOn order 1 The fourth of four ordered; three had been delivered by February 2026.
Search and rescue helicopter (type not chosen)On order 4 Four SAR helicopters to be bought through NSPA to replace the NH90 NFH at Koksijde; no type had been announced.
Formerly operated

Every type the Belgian Air Force has retired

25 types, from the Supermarine Spitfire F/FR.14 to the NHIndustries NH90 TTH. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.

Type Role Peak Served Replaced by Notes
NHIndustries NH90 TTH Tactical transport helicopter 4 2012–2025 H145M Four, RN-05 to RN-08, delivered December 2012 to November 2014.
Lockheed C-130H Hercules Tactical transport 12 1972–2021 A400M 12 ordered in 1970 and delivered 1972–1973; CH-13 added from ex-USAF stocks in 2009.
Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet 1B Advanced jet trainer 33 1978–2020 — 33, decided 13 September 1973; AT-01 delivered October 1978.
Westland Sea King Mk.48 Search and rescue helicopter 5 1976–2019 NH90 NFH Five, delivered from November 1976.
Potez-Air Fouga CM.170 Magister Jet trainer 50 1960–2007 Alpha Jet 45 bought new; 50 serials, MT-01 to MT-50, including second-hand aircraft.
Dassault Mirage 5BA, 5BD and 5BR Attack and reconnaissance 106 1970–1994 F-16 106: 63 5BA fighter-bombers, 16 5BD two-seaters and 27 5BR reconnaissance jets, ordered on 25 August 1968.
Lockheed F-104G and TF-104G Starfighter Interceptor and strike fighter 112 1963–1983 F-16 100 F-104G (FX-01 to FX-100) and 12 TF-104G (FC-01 to FC-12).
Lockheed T-33A and RT-33A Jet trainer 39 1951–1979 Alpha Jet 38 T-33A and one RT-33A, delivered 1951–1956.
Fairchild C-119F and C-119G Flying Boxcar Tactical transport — 1953–1975 C-130H 22 new C-119Gs from 1953, earlier C-119Fs brought to G standard and six ex-USAF aircraft in 1960; exact total UNVERIFIED.
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak Fighter-bomber 197 1955–1972 F-104G and Mirage 5 197 delivered from 1955, most through US military aid.
Republic RF-84F Thunderflash Tactical reconnaissance 34 1955–1972 Mirage 5BR 24 delivered 1955–1958 through MDAP, six more in 1963 and four in 1965.
Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck Mk.5 All-weather interceptor 53 1957–1964 F-104G 54 bought, 53 delivered December 1957 to July 1958.
Hawker Hunter F.6 Day fighter 144 1957–1963 F-104G 144, IF-1 to IF-144, 52 built by Fokker and 92 by SABCA and Fairey.
Gloster Meteor F.8 Day fighter 240 — Hunter 240: 23 from Britain, most of the rest from Fokker and Fairey at Gosselies.
North American Harvard Trainer and light attack 148 1947–1962 Magister About 148, plus spares and aircraft leased from the Netherlands in 1948–1949.
Hawker Hunter F.4 Day fighter 112 1956–1960 Hunter F.6 112.
Republic F-84G Thunderjet Fighter-bomber 213 1952–1957 F-84F 213 from early 1952.
Gloster Meteor F.4 Day fighter 48 1949–1957 Meteor F.8 48, EF-01 to EF-48, delivered April to September 1949.
Supermarine Spitfire F/FR.14 Fighter 132 1947–1954 Meteor 100 ordered plus 32 attrition replacements, delivered April 1947 to July 1949.
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I Fighter — — — Number in May 1940 not verified.
Gloster Gladiator Fighter — — — Number in May 1940 not verified.
Fairey Battle Light bomber — — — Nine attacked the Albert Canal bridges on 11 May 1940; the fleet total is not verified.
Fiat CR.42 Falco Fighter — — — At least 15 at Brustem in May 1940.
Fairey Fox Light bomber and fighter — — — Number not verified.
Hanriot HD.1 Fighter — — — Number not verified.
Air bases

Where the Belgian Air Force flies from

Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. All five active bases have changed role since the Cold War: Florennes and Kleine-Brogel are becoming F-35 bases, Beauvechain lost its fighters in 1996 and Koksijde was reprieved from closure in 2025. Allied units are listed with the base that hosts them and marked as allied.

Active air base Closed or reserveClick a pin to open the base page
Base ICAO Status Runway Units and aircraft
BeauvechainWalloon Brabant EBBE Active 04L/22R3,079 masphalt/concrete04R/22L2,436 masphalt/concrete
  • 1st Wing helicopter squadrons: AW109BA Hirundo (A109), H145M
  • Basic Flying Training School: SIAI-Marchetti SF.260
  • NH90 TTH squadron: NH90 TTH
  • 1st Fighter Wing (349 and 350 Squadrons)
FlorennesNamur EBFS Active 08L/26R3,388 m08R/26L2,248 m
Kleine-BrogelLimburg EBBL Active 05L/23R3,096 masphalt/concrete05R/23L2,438 masphalt/concrete
KoksijdeWest Flanders EBFN Active 11/292,670 masphalt/concrete
  • 40 Squadron (40ste Smaldeel): NH90 NFH
MelsbroekFlemish Brabant EBMB Active 01/192,987 m07R/25L3,211 m07L/25R3,638 m
  • 20 Squadron (20ste Smaldeel): Airbus A400M Atlas
  • 21 Squadron (21e Escadrille): Dassault Falcon 7X
  • Luxembourg A400M (in the Belgian-Luxembourg fleet): Airbus A400M Atlas
  • 20 Squadron (C-130 era): C-130H Hercules
BiersetLiège EBLG Closed 2011 04R/22L3,690 m04L/22R2,340 m
  • 3rd Tactical Wing (3e Wing Tactique): F-84F Thunderstreak, Mirage 5BA
  • Wing Heli (ex-Light Aviation Group): Agusta A109
ChièvresHainaut EBCV Closed 1967 08/262,500 masphalt/concrete

No air base matches that search.

Order of battle

Who is stationed where in the Belgian Air Force

Flying units by base, current units first. 349 and 350 Squadrons still carry the numbers they flew under as the Belgian squadrons of the wartime RAF. Allied units say so.

Kleine-Brogel Air Base · EBBL10th Tactical Wing
31 Squadron (31ste Smaldeel)Tigers · Fighter squadron · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon
349 Squadron (349ste Smaldeel)Fighter squadron · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon
F-16 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU)Operational conversion unit · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon
23 Squadron (23ste Smaldeel)1951–2002
F-84G Thunderjet, F-104G Starfighter, F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
27 Squadron (27ste Smaldeel)1951–1963
F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak
Florennes Air Base · EBFS2nd Tactical Wing
1 Squadron (1re Escadrille)Fighter squadron · active
F-35A Lightning II, F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (before the F-35)
350 Squadron (350e Escadrille)Fighter squadron (air defence) · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon
2 Squadron (2e Escadrille)Comet · Remotely piloted aircraft squadron · active
MQ-9B SkyGuardian
10 Squadron (10e Escadrille)F-35 support and simulator squadron · active
—
42 Squadron (42e Escadrille)1971–
Mirage 5BR
485th Tactical Missile Wing, USAF1984–1989
—
Beauvechain Air Base · EBBE1st Wing
1st Wing helicopter squadronsHelicopter wing · active
AW109BA Hirundo (A109)
Basic Flying Training SchoolBasic flying training · active
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260
NH90 TTH squadron—
NH90 TTH
1st Fighter Wing (349 and 350 Squadrons)1948–1996
—
Melsbroek Air Base · EBMB15th Air Transport Wing
20 Squadron (20ste Smaldeel)Tactical airlift squadron · active
Airbus A400M Atlas
21 Squadron (21e Escadrille)VIP transport squadron · active
Dassault Falcon 7X
Luxembourg A400M (in the Belgian-Luxembourg fleet)Allied tactical airlift aircraft · allied
Airbus A400M Atlas
20 Squadron (C-130 era)—
C-130H Hercules
Koksijde · EBFNKoksijde Air Base
40 Squadron (40ste Smaldeel)Search and rescue helicopter squadron · active
NH90 NFH

No unit matches that search.

Timeline

Belgian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1909

A military balloon company is formed, the root of Belgian military aviation.

1913

The Aviation Militaire is created; in August 1914 it goes to war with four squadrons of four Farmans.

1915

17 April: Fernand Jacquet scores the first Belgian aerial victory.

1918

The Groupe de Chasse is formed in March and ends the war credited with 71 confirmed victories. Willy Coppens, 37 victories, is wounded on 14 October.

1940

10 May: Germany invades; about 83 Belgian aircraft are destroyed, mostly on the ground. 11 May: the Albert Canal bridges attack costs six of nine Battles. 28 May: capitulation.

1943

5 June: 349 Squadron reforms at Wittering with Spitfires; 350 Squadron, formed at Valley in November 1941, was the first RAF squadron manned by Belgians.

1946

15 October: military aviation becomes an autonomous force independent of the army; 349 and 350 Squadrons pass to Belgian control.

1949

April: the first jets, Meteor F.4s, join 1 Wing at Beauvechain.

1960

July: Congo crisis. C-119s fly troops and evacuees and armed Harvards fly in support of Belgian forces.

1963

April: the first SABCA-built F-104G Starfighters reach 1 Wing; the type flies until 26 September 1983.

1964

24 November: Belgian paratroopers drop on Stanleyville from US C-130s in Operation Dragon Rouge.

1970

The Mirage 5 enters service; 106 ordered in 1968.

1977

5 May: contract for 116 F-16s, following the four-nation choice of June 1975.

1991

January: 18 Mirage 5s deploy to Diyarbakır, Turkey, during the Gulf War.

1996

15 July: C-130H CH-06 crashes at Eindhoven, killing 34. 1 Wing closes as a fighter wing and 350 Squadron moves to Florennes.

1999

24 March to 10 June: 12 F-16s fly 679 sorties in NATO’s Kosovo air war.

2002

January: the air force becomes the Air Component of a unified Belgian Defence.

2011

March: six F-16s deploy to Araxos, Greece, for the Libya campaign.

2014

October: F-16s begin the first Desert Falcon rotation against Islamic State from Jordan.

2018

25 October: the F-35A is chosen; 34 aircraft for about four billion euro.

2021

August: C-130s fly more than 1,400 people out of Kabul in Operation Red Kite; the Hercules retires on 17 December.

2024

28 May: Belgium signs to give Ukraine 30 F-16s by 2028. The service takes back the name Belgian Air Force. 12 December: first Belgian F-35 flight at Luke AFB.

2025

18 August: first MQ-9B at Florennes. 13 October: the first three F-35As land at Florennes. The NH90 TTH is retired.

2026

29 May: Maj. Gen. Bruno Beeckmans takes command. 25 September: three more F-35As reach Florennes, making seven in Belgium.

Combat record

Every war the Belgian Air Force has fought

Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.

11conflicts
1914First
83Aircraft lost
2Killed
  • The First World War 1914–1918 Reconnaissance, artillery spotting and, from 1915, air combat over the small part of Belgium left unoccupied
  • The Eighteen Days’ Campaign 1940 Fought the German invasion from 10 to 28 May 1940 with an outdated and largely unserviceable force
  • Belgians in the Royal Air Force 1940–1945 Belgian airmen served in the RAF, first as individuals and from 1941 in two national fighter squadrons
  • The Congo crisis 1960–1962 Airlifted troops and evacuees, flew armed Harvards in support of Belgian forces, and ran the Kamina base during the collapse after Congolese independence
  • Operations Dragon Rouge and Dragon Noir 1964 A Belgian parachute rescue of hostages held by Simba rebels, flown in by the United States Air Force

Open the full combat record

From the magazine

Belgian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Belgian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.

All stories in Afterburner

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Belgian Air Force

What aircraft does the Belgian Air Force fly in 2026?
About 40 to 44 F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons and 16 accepted F-35A Lightning IIs (seven of them in Belgium) make up the combat fleet. Transport is seven Airbus A400Ms and two leased Falcon 7Xs, with a share in NATO’s A330 MRTT tanker fleet. The helicopters are four NH90 NFH for search and rescue, about ten A109BAs and the first H145Ms; pilots start on the SF.260, and three MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones fly from Florennes.
What is the Belgian Air Force called in Dutch, French and German?
In Dutch it is the Luchtmacht and in French the Force aérienne (mil.be writes Force Aérienne), the names on the official Defence site in 2026. Belgium’s third official language is German, in which the service is the Luftwaffe; mil.be publishes no German version, so that form is not confirmed on the official site. From 2002 to 2024 it was the Air Component: Luchtcomponent, Composante Air and Luftkomponente.
Is it the Belgian Air Force or the Belgian Air Component?
Both names are correct for their time. From January 2002, when Belgium merged its services into a single Defence, the air force was officially the Air Component. In 2024 it took back the name Belgian Air Force (Luchtmacht / Force aérienne), which the official site mil.be now uses; Wikipedia dates the change to July 2024, but we found no official document giving the exact date. The national aeronautical information publication (skeyes) still referred to the Belgian Air and Space Component in 2026.
When was the Belgian Air Force founded?
The service dates its lineage to 1909, when a military balloon company was formed; the Aviation Militaire followed in 1913 and went to war in 1914 with four squadrons of Farmans. It became an autonomous service, independent of the army, on 15 October 1946, and took the name Force Aérienne / Luchtmacht in 1948.
How many F-35s does Belgium have?
Belgium ordered 34 F-35As after choosing the type on 25 October 2018, and had accepted 16 by 26 September 2026: seven at Florennes, eight at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona for training and one still in the United States. Eleven more, to make 45, are funded in the 2026 budget, but a contract had not been confirmed. Kleine-Brogel receives its first F-35s in 2027 and full operational capability is planned for 2030.
When did the first F-35 arrive in Belgium?
The first three Belgian F-35As landed at Florennes on 13 October 2025, joining 1 Squadron; three more arrived on 25 September 2026 after crossing the Atlantic with tanker support via the Azores. The first flight by a Belgian pilot in a Belgian F-35 took place at Luke AFB on 12 December 2024.
Why did Belgium choose the F-35?
The government announced on 25 October 2018 that it would buy 34 F-35As for about four billion euro, ahead of the Eurofighter Typhoon and other contenders. The official case was cost and capability; the unspoken one was NATO nuclear sharing, since the F-16 at Kleine-Brogel carries out a role that needs a certified US-built successor. Belgium has never officially confirmed that role.
Is Belgium giving its F-16s to Ukraine?
Belgium signed on 28 May 2024 to give Ukraine 30 F-16s by 2028, later reported as all 53 remaining airframes by the end of 2029. On 18 June 2026 Defence Minister Theo Francken promised seven in 2026, three operational and four for spare parts, and tied the rest to the arrival of the F-35. By September 2026 no delivery had been publicly confirmed.
Are there nuclear weapons at Kleine-Brogel?
Belgium has never officially confirmed it. A NATO Parliamentary Assembly draft report leaked in July 2019 listed Kleine-Brogel among the European bases storing US B61 bombs, and a US Air Force munitions support squadron is stationed there. Belgian governments keep to NATO policy of neither confirming nor denying.
Who commands the Belgian Air Force?
Major General Bruno Beeckmans, since 29 May 2026. He took over at Kleine-Brogel from Maj. Gen. Geert De Decker, commander since 20 March 2025, and is the first chief whose career was entirely in air transport: a C-130 instructor who commanded 15th Air Transport Wing at Melsbroek from 2022 to 2025. The Minister of Defence is Theo Francken.
How many people serve in the Belgian Air Force?
5,700, according to the official air force page in Dutch, French and English. The service flies nine aircraft and helicopter types from five air bases: Kleine-Brogel, Florennes, Beauvechain, Melsbroek and Koksijde.
Where are the Belgian Air Force bases?
There are five: Kleine-Brogel in Limburg (10th Tactical Wing, F-16), Florennes in Namur province (2nd Tactical Wing, F-16, F-35A and MQ-9B), Beauvechain in Walloon Brabant (1st Wing, helicopters and basic training), Melsbroek next to Brussels Airport (15th Air Transport Wing) and Koksijde on the coast (40 Squadron, search and rescue). Bierset near Liège and Chièvres were fighter bases in the Cold War.
What happened to the Belgian air force in May 1940?
It was overwhelmed. Of 377 aircraft only about 50 were reasonably modern and 118 serviceable on 10 May; about 83 were destroyed that day, mostly on the ground. On 11 May six of nine Fairey Battles and four of their six Gladiator escorts were lost attacking the Albert Canal bridges. The survivors flew until Belgium capitulated on 28 May.
Which Belgian squadrons flew in the RAF?
349 and 350 Squadrons. 350 formed at Valley in November 1941 as the first RAF squadron manned by Belgians, and 349 reformed at Wittering on 5 June 1943 after a short first life in Nigeria. Both flew Spitfires, fought over Normandy and against the V-1, passed to Belgium in October 1946 and still fly the F-16 today, 349 at Kleine-Brogel and 350 at Florennes.
Who was Belgium’s top fighter ace?
Willy Coppens, credited with 37 confirmed victories in 1918, 34 of them German observation balloons, all flying the Hanriot HD.1. He lost a leg after being hit on 14 October 1918. Fernand Jacquet scored Belgium’s first aerial victory on 17 April 1915. In the Second World War Remy Van Lierde was credited with six aircraft and 44 V-1 flying bombs.
Did Belgium fly the F-86 Sabre?
No. Belgium’s post-war fighters were the Spitfire XIV, Meteor, F-84G and F-84F, Hawker Hunter, CF-100 and F-104G; the F-86 does not appear in the type list of the Belgian military air arms.
Did Belgium fly the Mirage?
Yes: 106 Mirage 5s, ordered on 25 August 1968 — 63 5BA fighter-bombers, 16 5BD two-seaters and 27 5BR reconnaissance jets, assembled by SABCA. They served from 1970 to 1994 at Florennes and Bierset, went to Turkey during the 1991 Gulf War, and 25 were later sold to Chile. See the Mirage III and Mirage 5 page.
What was the Agusta scandal?
In 1988 the Italian firm Agusta and the French firm Dassault paid bribes to Belgian political parties to win the contract for 46 A109 helicopters and an electronic warfare contract for the air force’s F-16s. The affair came out after the 1991 murder of the politician André Cools, forced the resignation of Willy Claes as NATO Secretary General in 1995, and ended on 23 December 1998 with suspended sentences for Claes and two other former ministers and for Serge Dassault.
Was the Belgian F-104 purchase linked to the Lockheed bribery scandal?
Not on the record we found. The Lockheed bribery scandals of the 1970s involved the Netherlands, West Germany, Italy and Japan, among others, but no Belgian case is documented in the standard accounts. The corruption case that did touch the Belgian air force was the Agusta-Dassault affair.
What did Belgium do in the Congo?
In July 1960, days after Congolese independence, Belgium flew paratroopers in and the air force’s C-119s and armed Harvards supported them from the base at Kamina. On 24 November 1964 about 320 Belgian paracommandos dropped on Stanleyville from American C-130s in Operation Dragon Rouge to free hostages held by Simba rebels; about 1,600 foreigners were evacuated. Both interventions remain controversial in the Congo.
Has the Belgian Air Force been in combat since 1945?
Yes, in coalitions: 12 F-16s flew 679 sorties over Kosovo in 1999; F-16s flew in Afghanistan from 2005 and from Kandahar from 2008; six F-16s struck targets in Libya in 2011; and F-16s flew three rotations against Islamic State from Jordan between 2014 and 2021. No Belgian aircraft has been lost to enemy action since 1945.
What happened to the Belgian C-130 Hercules?
The twelve C-130Hs that arrived in 1972–1973 were retired on 17 December 2021, replaced by the Airbus A400M. One, CH-06, crashed at Eindhoven on 15 July 1996, killing 34 people, most of them members of a Dutch army band, and another was destroyed in a hangar fire in 2006. Some were later sold to Pakistan.
What drones does the Belgian Air Force fly?
The General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian, flown by 2 Squadron at Florennes. The first arrived on 18 August 2025, the second and third in February 2026, and a fourth is on order; an armed option has been approved. It is the MQ-9B, not the MQ-9A Reaper. Before it Belgium flew the B-Hunter from 2002.
Which helicopters replace the NH90 and the A109?
The H145M replaces the A109: 15 for Defence, delivered from 2026 to the end of 2027 at Beauvechain. The four NH90 TTH were withdrawn in 2025, and the four NH90 NFH search-and-rescue helicopters at Koksijde are to be replaced by four new SAR helicopters bought through NATO’s NSPA; no type had been chosen by September 2026.
Where do Belgian military pilots train?
Basic training is on the SF.260 at Beauvechain, to be replaced by 18 Pilatus PC-7 MKX from 2028. Advanced jet training moved to the Franco-Belgian Alpha Jet school at Cazaux in 2005, and since the Alpha Jet left, Belgian fighter pilots have trained abroad; F-35 pilots train with the 312th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB in Arizona.
What is the Belgian defence budget in 2026?
The 2026 budget provides 20.109 billion euro of commitment credits and 10.767 billion euro of payment credits, with defence spending held at 2 per cent of GDP through 2033. For the air force it funds eleven more F-35As, the second NATO MRTT tanker, the H145M and the SkyCourier special-operations aircraft.
Where can I see historic Belgian military aircraft?
The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History in Brussels holds the national collection, and the 1Wing Historical Centre at Beauvechain has a collection on the base. One Belgian Hunter F.6, IF-65, survives; none of the 53 CF-100s was preserved.

Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Figures verified 2026-09-28. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

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