On 14 April, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken announced in an interview with a local newspaper that Belgium intends to acquire a second batch of Lockheed Martin F-35s, without specifying the number of aircraft at this stage.

As part of this initiative, Francken said he had asked his Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, for the possibility of assembling the new F-35s at the FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out) facility in Cameri, Italy. The site, owned by the Italian Ministry of Defence and managed by Leonardo in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, is the only European facility for the final assembly and maintenance of the F-35, as well as one of the few in the world authorised to carry out MRO&U (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul & Upgrade) activities for the fifth-generation aircraft.

Belgium is currently in the process of acquiring 34 F-35As, ordered in 2018. The first aircraft was delivered at the end of 2024 to Luke Air Force Base (Arizona, USA), where operational conversion and initial training for Belgian pilots and technical personnel are taking place.

Also according to Francken, Brussels plans to invest over €20 billion in defence over the next five years. The main priorities identified include, in addition to the F-35 programme, strengthening air defence, acquiring capabilities in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), procuring ammunition and establishing a second brigade for the Army.

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