Combat aircraft

on 15-minute QRA for Belgium and

Luxembourg and a pair of Dutch F-16s

for the Netherlands.

Since January 1, 2017, the authorities

of the Benelux member state over

which a non-military air threat emerges

can give instructions to the assigned

QRA aircraft, whether they are Belgian

or Dutch. The common Benelux Air

Policing Mission is now carried out on

a four-month rotational basis, Belgian

aircraft having kicked this off during the

first four months of 2017.

Continuous modernization

Maj Gen Frederik ‘Fred’ Vansina, the

Belgian Air Component commander, is

not only proud of his highly trained air

and ground crews, but also of his F-16s.

The type has offered sterling service,

Top: A sharp

formation of

Belgian F-16AMs

and BMs in 2017

as the Operational

Conversion Unit

marked 30 years

of existence.

Belgian Defence/

Bart Rosselle

Above: FA-70

dishes out some

20mm from the

internal gun at the

Pampa range in

Helchteren, just

south of Kleine

Brogel.

Belgian Defence/

Peter Stams

Right: A pilot on

Operation ‘Desert

Falcon’ sports

the standard

kit — JHMCS,

desert flying suit,

combat vest and

sidearm.

Belgian Defence/

Christian Decloedt

64 February 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

FORCE REPORT // BELGIAN AIR COMPONENT F-16s

58-65 Belgium Vipers C.indd 64 14/12/2017 11:19