Belgium joins the French Military Council’s project for new combat aircraft as an observer

Therefore, Belgium became an observer within the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (System de Combat Aérien du Futur, ed.)a Franco-German-Spanish program aimed at developing a new generation of combat aircraft.

“This is an important development,” said the French president. “This expansion will solidify this project at the heart of tomorrow’s European air defense.”

Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) has already indicated in an interview with La Libre last week that Belgium should join the military junta. The aircraft should be ready by 2035-2040 after which it will immediately succeed the F-35. This American-made combat aircraft will soon replace the outdated F-16s in our country.

Didondre confirmed, on Monday, that Belgium is ready to invest 360 million euros to participate in the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces project, on the sidelines of the 54th International Aerospace Exhibition (SIAE) in Le Bourget, France.

The Elysee explains that Belgium will initially have observer status “because we are in a relatively complex design and production phase” that does not lend itself to more direct participation.

Moreover, Macron called the joint purchase of air-to-surface missiles “a very good example of sovereign cooperation between Europeans in a very relevant and under-covered area”.

A presidential adviser said that the five countries had signed a letter of intent to purchase “several hundred Mistral missiles,” and emphasized that this was “the first joint purchase of this type of equipment.” The Mistral missiles, produced by the French company MBDA, can hit a target up to six kilometers away.