Bij Lockheed Martin is vrijdag (10 november 2023) de eerste voor de Belgische luchtmacht bestemde F-35A naar buiten gerold.
Naar verwachting zal het toestel tegen het einde van het jaar officieel worden gepresenteerd.
Bij Lockheed Martin is vrijdag (10 november 2023) de eerste voor de Belgische luchtmacht bestemde F-35A naar buiten gerold.
Naar verwachting zal het toestel tegen het einde van het jaar officieel worden gepresenteerd.
POSTED ON THURSDAY,
04 JANUARY 2024 16:11
Belgium is set to dispatch two F-16B two-seater aircraft to Denmark between March and September 2024.
Their mission is to actively participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots on these highly anticipated aircraft,
eagerly awaited by Kyiv.
This collaborative training initiative is an integral part of the "F-16 coalition,"
which consists of thirteen nations led by Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States.
The primary objective is to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with single- and two-seater F-16 fighter-bombers manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s.
Specifically, two Belgian F-16B aircraft will be deployed to Denmark for two separate eight-week periods
between March and September 2024. Additionally, approximately fifty personnel will be involved in this mission,
Delay hits Belgium’s F-35 delivery: advanced software certification pushes timeline back by six months
9 February 2024
Belgium’s order for 34 F-35 fighter jets faces a delay of at least six months
due to setbacks in the certification process for the latest software update,
known as “Technology Refresh 3” (TR-3).
Originally,
four aircraft were planned for delivery by the end of 2023,
later reduced to two due to pandemic-related slowdowns.
However, the updated software required for the aircraft’s operation in its “Block 4” version is still pending approval.
The certification process is expected to conclude in the second quarter of 2024.
The delay is unlikely to impact the overall deployment timeline,
with the gradual replacement of F-16 fighter-bombers scheduled by 2030.
Pilots and technicians are set to undergo training in the United States before the F-35s join the Belgian Air Force,
with the first four expected at Florennes air base in May 2025.
The delay poses challenges but is not anticipated to affect the overall transition plan.
...meer informatie via The Aviationist.Here are the first images of the first Belgian Air Force F-35A during its maiden flight.
On May 14, 2024,
AY-03, the third of a total order of 34 F-35s destined to Belgium, made its first flight.
The aircraft, took off around from Lockheed Martin Fort Worth facility, Texas, around 3.00PM LT
and flew for about one hour.
As the images taken by our friend and contributor Gherardo Fontana (@gfontana767) show,
the F-35A sports a colored roundel,
the flag of Belgium on the tail along with the tail code FL003 (“Fighter Lightning 003”).
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