{"id":20719,"date":"2018-10-22T18:29:49","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T18:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/22\/belgium-reportedly-picks-f-35-for-future-fighter-jet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:53:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:53:54","slug":"belgium-reportedly-picks-f-35-for-future-fighter-jet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/10\/22\/belgium-reportedly-picks-f-35-for-future-fighter-jet\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium reportedly picks F-35 for future fighter jet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON and LI\u00c8GE, Belgium \u2014 Belgium appears poised to select Lockheed Martin\u2019s F-35 over the Eurofighter Typhoon<\/a> as its next-generation fighter jet, with government sources on Oct. 22 telling national news outlet Belga that an F-35 victory has already been decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belgian government is expected to formally announce its decision before Oct. 29, Reuters reported<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Lockheed Martin spokesman said he could not confirm whether Belgium had communicated its choice to the firm, but said the company remains confident in its offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe F-35 offers transformational capability for the Belgian Air Force and, if selected, will align them with a global coalition operating the world\u2019s most advanced aircraft,\u201d Mike Friedman said in an emailed statement. \u201cThe F-35 program is built on strong international partnerships, and our proposal includes significant industrial opportunities for Belgian companies to contribute to the global F-35 enterprise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The F-35 was widely considered the favorite in the competition, which included the Eurofighter \u2014 a partnership among the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Germany. This summer, Belgium announced that it would also consider two options in addition to the F-35 and Typhoon: France\u2019s Dassault Rafale or upgrading its existing F-16 fleet instead of purchasing new aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. aerospace behemoth Boeing and Sweden\u2019s Saab pulled out of the competition<\/a> last year, with Boeing claiming that Belgium\u2019s requirements favored the F-35 and Sweden stating that it was not able to provide the operational support needed by the Belgian Air Component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A win by the F-35 would further solidify the joint strike fighter\u2019s dominance among U.S. allies in Europe and deal a heavy blow to Franco-German ambitions for a prominent role in building Europe’s next-generation defense capabilities. Both Rafale and Eurofighter had pitched extensive industrial packages to Belgium in the hopes of bolstering their offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\t