Aviation Week & Space Technology - January 15, 2015

AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 15-FEBRUARY 1, 2015 31

Tony Osborne London

Budding Interest

Could history and nuclear weapons

push Belgium toward the F-35

for its future fi ghter?

DEFENSE

B

elgian defense of cials have de-

tailed their wish list for their

future fighter aircraft, while

prepar ing to present their case to the

country’s next government.

But despite shortlisting fi ve Western

fi ghters last summer, there are indica-

tions that the country may be drawing

closer toward selection of the Lock-

heed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

It is far from a forgone conclusion,

but key to Brussels’ thinking is being a

partner or part of a partnership of na-

tions and introducing an aircraft that

is “fully common with partner nations

operating the same weapons system,”

program documents released earlier

in January reveal.

Belgium’s program for its new fi ght-

er—the Air Combat Capability Succes-

sor Program—began last year when of-

fi cials carried out a survey of Western

fi ghters. But instead of approaching

the manufacturers, Belgium went to

the lead government procurement

agencies for each aircraft —including

the Joint Program Of ce for the F-35,

Navair for the F/A-18 Super Hornet,

France’s DGA for the Dassault Rafale,

Britain’s Defense Equipment and Sup-

port agency, (DE&S) for the Eurofi ght-

er Typhoon and Sweden’s FMV for the

Saab Gripen.

Details of the questions sent to

those agencies were published on Jan.

8 as the Belgian authorities prepare to

start the F-16 successor program in the

coming months. This should lead to a

governmental approval process dur-

ing mid-2016 and the beginning of the

procurement phase, which should last

into mid-2018 when the next Belgian

government is expected to approve the

procurement.

Belgium is the last of the original

four European F-16 operators—the

so-called European Participating Air

Forces—to start the hunt for a new

fighter to replace the Viper. So far,

both the Netherlands and Norway

have already selected the F-35A, while

Denmark —also a signatory to the F-35

program—is currently in the process

of examining other options.

Belgium wants to start replacing its

F-16s in 2023 and wants to achieve full

operational capability in 2029. These

timescales are considerably later than

for its counterparts to the north, and

could potentially ease out both the

Super Hornet and the Typhoon, as

production of both aircraft is likely to

cease well before the end of the decade

unless new orders emerge.

The same will be true for the Das-

sault Rafale unless it can fi nally se-

cure the long-negotiated deal with

India and possible rumored sales to

Qatar and Egypt.

This scenario could potentially

leave only the F-35 and the Gripen

in the running. Both types meet Bel-

gium’s need for partnerships and both

are more than capable of meeting the

envisaged mission set, including de-

fensive and of ensive counter-air, air

interdiction and close air support, and

potentially the emerging missions as

well. Brussels wants to carry out non-

traditional intelligence, surveillance,

and reconnaissance (NTISR), such

as the use of targeting pods for target

acquisition, and also strike coordina-

tion and reconnaissance, although the

F-35 currently does not have a high-

defi nition electro-optical sensor that

would enable the NTISR mission; but

one may be defi ned in future develop-

ment blocks by the time Belgium needs

the aircraft.

A significant factor in the F-35’s

favor may be Belgium’s dual-key ar-

rangement for U.S. B-61 nuclear

weapons located at Kleine Brogel AB

in the east of the country. Any desire

by Belgium or the U.S. to retain this

capability will mean a U.S. platform

would have to be selected.

Belgium’s F-16s have served it well,

and commanders want to continue

what is a strong track record of suc-

cessful support to NATO and interna-

tional operations with its future fi ghter

fl eet. Right now, Belgium has aircraft

deployed in Jordan to support the

U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State

fi ghters in Iraq, sending jets to the area

just days after aircraft deployed in Af-

ghanistan to support the NATO mis-

sion there returned home.

And Belgium wants to be able to

deploy as many as 10 fighters for a

sustained period of undetermined

duration or “execute a one-time par-

ticipation in a multinational operation

with a maximum engagement of 30

aircraft.” However, defense of cials

insist that the number of aircraft for

such an operation should not suggest

the number of aircraft Belgium will

want to purchase, adding “the cur-

rent level of ambition will be used as

a baseline.”

Belgium currently has around 50

F-16s in operation, split between two

bases. All have been through the Eu-

ropean Mid-Life-Update program.

But it seems unlikely that the future

fi ghter selection will replace the F-16s

on a 1-to-1 basis, although Belgium’s

buy could be greater than the number

planned by the Netherlands, which has

so far committed to 37 F-35s. Of these,

the Netherlands believes it will be able

to commit just four aircraft to interna-

tional operations.

By 2016, Belgium and the Nether-

lands will take turns guarding each

other’s airspace, and the Benelux re-

lationship is likely to be a major infl u-

ence in Belgium’s defense thinking in

the future. c

TONY OSBORNE/AW&ST

The F-16 has served Belgium well

and will have to soldier on into the

2020s before it is replaced.