Belgium will retire its first F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter this summer in anticipation of receiving the F-35 Lightning II

Belgium is preparing to replace its fourth-generation F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters with fifth-generation F-35 Lighting II jets. Very soon Brussels will retire the first F-16 as part of the fleet renewal.

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The Belgian Ministry of Defense now has 54 fourth-generation fighters. The first aircraft will be retired in the summer of 2023. The rest will be decommissioned within five years.

The first F-35 Lightning II fighter will soon go to the US Air Force base "Luke" in Phoenix. There American specialists will train Belgian pilots and mechanics. Lockheed Martin is to deliver all Lightning II aircraft to the Belgian Air Force by 2028.

Source: Aviation 24