had undergone a major mid-life update
(MLU), keeping them at the cutting edge
of modern air warfare.
The part played in the operations over
the former Yugoslavia and repeated
participation in sophisticated international
exercises such as ‘Red Flag’, the Tactical
Leadership Programme (TLP) and Fighter
Weapons Instructor Training (FWIT)
heralded a new momentum for the
Belgian Air Force and its F-16 community.
Both the political and military authorities
in Belgium realized the importance of a
well-equipped air force, and suddenly
things started to move rapidly. Together
with the ambitious MLU program,
considerable investment was made in
improving equipment and war stocks.
The result was a state-of-the-art combat
aircraft with high-tech weapon systems,
capable of taking action in a safe and
positive way in almost any crisis or conflict
anywhere in the world.Heading east
During the second half of 2005, Operation
‘Eastern Eagle’ brought Belgian F-16AMs to
Afghanistan. Four aircraft operated from
Kabul International Airport (KIA) to provide
security around the 2005 parliamentary
elections. It was the first time Belgian F-16shad been deployed outside NATO territory
for combat operations.
The Belgian F-16AMs returned to
Afghanistan from September 2008 until
October 2014 under Operation ‘Guardian
Falcon’. Operating from Kandahar Air
Base, they mainly performed close air
support (CAS) missions in support of
the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF). ‘Guardian Falcon’ saw the
introduction of the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper
XR advanced targeting pod, the Joint
Helmet-Mounted Cueing System
(JHMCS) and new weapons like the 500lb
GPS-guided GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack
Munition (JDAM) and the 500lb laser/
GPS-guided GBU-54 Laser JDAM. Good for
16,000 flying hours in six years, it was the
Belgian Air Component’s longest combat
operation ever.
The Air Component showed its skill,
flexibility and stamina in March 2011
when it transformed a temporary
training detachment at Araxos, Greece,
into an operational combat detachment
over the course of a weekend, and all
that while continuing its operations in
Afghanistan. During Operation ‘Freedom
Falcon’ over Libya the Belgian F-16AMs
carried out 614 defensive and offensive
counter-air (DCA and OCA) missionsClockwise from below: In line with the
other European Participating Air Forces
flying the F-16, the Joint Helmet-Mounted
Cueing System (JHMCS) has become
standard. Belgian Defence/Chewy
Operation ‘Desert Falcon’ is the name
adopted for Belgium’s contribution to
Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’. F-16AM
FA-134 is taxiing back to the apron after
a kinetic mission over Iraq or Syria, as
proven by the absence of the weapon
under the port wing.
Belgian Defence/Christian Decloedt
A rather weathered-looking FA-69 high
above Afghanistan. The F-16AMs mainly
performed close air support missions
in support of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF).
Belgian Defence/VadorFORCE REPORT // BELGIAN AIR COMPONENT F-16s
60 February 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
58-65 Belgium Vipers C.indd 60 14/12/2017 12:07