Lockheed Martin poised to continue Belgian F-16 support via FMS
Belgian Air Component F-16As. (Photo: NATO)
Additional support from Lockheed Martin for Belgian F-16As would supplement an existing FMS case.
Lockheed Martin is set to benefit from a potential $127 million FMS contract to help sustain the Belgian Air Component’s fleet of F-16A Fighting Falcons, after the US State Department announced its approval of the deal on 19 July.
The Belgian government is requesting additional F-16 sustainment support that will be added to a previously implemented FMS case worth $98.4 million.
As with the earlier case, the new potential FMS contract would include the sustainment of AN/ARC-210 radios, classified software, EW databases, munitions and aircraft support equipment, and other features such as IT support.
‘The proposed sale will improve Belgium’s capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet in combat-ready status and providing rotational forces to NATO’s Eastern flank,’ the State Department noted.
A detachment of Belgian F-16s happened to be in Estonia conducting enhanced air policing in the Baltics when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. The F-16s were later employed for enhanced Air Vigilance policing (also from a base in Estonia) that ended on 20 July.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![How AI is reshaping defence procurement through sustainment]()
How AI is reshaping defence procurement through sustainment
Artificial intelligence is not just changing how defence equipment is maintained but how defence programmes are won, creating new opportunities for industry by influencing acquisition decisions and shaping competition.
-
![NATO signs agreements worth billions of dollars on missiles, air defence and aircraft]()
NATO signs agreements worth billions of dollars on missiles, air defence and aircraft
Announcements on aircraft deals and agreements for trans-alliance cooperation to boost the production and purchase of weapons and equipment were key takeaways from this week’s NATO summit.
-
![Ukraine experience forces rethink of counter-UAS doctrine]()
Ukraine experience forces rethink of counter-UAS doctrine
A panel session at Eurosatory 2026 brought together industry, academia and the French armed forces to assess how Ukraine’s battlefield reality is reshaping counter-UAS (CUAS) technology, air defence doctrine and Western procurement priorities.
-
![Nuclear costs crowd out key defence priorities in UK investment plan, say SDR authors]()
Nuclear costs crowd out key defence priorities in UK investment plan, say SDR authors
The UK government’s Defence Investment Plan has been criticised by the authors of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 which formed the basis of the plan. The SDR’s external reviewers told the country’s defence committee how the plan misses the mark.
-
![Australia’s new defence industry strategy targets development, procurement and exports]()
Australia’s new defence industry strategy targets development, procurement and exports
Australian is investing in weapons and missile manufacture and shipbuilding as part of a long-term plan that involves restructuring procurement and export systems under its 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy.
-
![Raytheon fast-tracks AIM-9X Sidewinder production targeting 2,500 missiles a year by 2027]()
Raytheon fast-tracks AIM-9X Sidewinder production targeting 2,500 missiles a year by 2027
RTX Raytheon is accelerating production of the AIM-9X Sidewinder, aiming to reach 2,500 missiles annually by late 2027 while strengthening its supply chain following two US Navy major contracts worth more than $2.2 billion.
