The Air Component, formerly the Belgian Air Force, is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces. The current commander is Lieutenant-General Gerard Van Caelenberge. An air force, in some countries called an air army, is a military or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare. ... Military branches: Army Component, Naval Component and Air Component Military manpower - military age: 16 years of age (2001) Military manpower - availability: males age 16-49: 2,436,736 (2005 est. ...

Roundel of the Belgian Air Force

F-16 of Belgian Air Force's Solo Display Team

Image File history File links Roundel_of_the_Belgian_Air_Force. ... Image File history File links Roundel_of_the_Belgian_Air_Force. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 853 pixel, file size: 338 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) F-16 MLU of Belgian Air Forces Solo Display Team (registration number: FA-133) taxiing at Radom Air Show 2005. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 853 pixel, file size: 338 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) F-16 MLU of Belgian Air Forces Solo Display Team (registration number: FA-133) taxiing at Radom Air Show 2005. ...

Early years

The Belgian Air Force was founded in 1909 as a branch of the Belgian Army. It originally carried the name of Compagnie des Ouvries et Aérostiers. At the start of the First World War, the military aviation branch consisted of four squadrons equipped with Farman aircraft. In March 1915 it was expanded to six squadrons. During the war the Belgian squadrons were equipped with Nieuport 10, Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, Hanriot HD.1, SPAD S.VII, SPAD S.XIII and Sopwith Camel. One of its' pilots, Willy Coppens, even became the top ranking "balloon buster" of German observation balloons of World War I. Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Nieuport 10 was a French biplane fighter aircraft during World War I. In January 1914 designer Gustave Delage joined the Société Anonyme des Establissements Nieuport and started the series of aircraft that made him and the company famous. ... The Nieuport 11 was designed in response to the Fokker Scourge of 1915. ... The Nieuport 17 was a biplane fighter aircraft manufactured by Nieuport, and prominent during the World War I era. ... The Hanriot HD.1 was a French World War I single seat fighter. ... The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour LAviation et ses Dérivés during the First World War. ... The SPAD S.XIII was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, developed by Société Pour LAviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) from the earlier highly successful SPAD S.VII. It was one of the most capable fighters of the war, and one of the... The Sopwith Camel Scout was a British World War I single-seat fighter aircraft that was famous for its maneuverability. ... Willy Coppens (6 July 1892 - 21 December 1986) was Belgiums leading fighter ace and the champion balloon buster of World War I. A prewar soldier, Coppens learned to fly on his own in Britain and joined the Belgian Air Force in 1916, flying observation aircraft. ...

During the interbellum, the Belgian Air Force flew with Breguet 19. An interbellum is a period between wars. ... The Breguet 19 (Breguet XIX, Br. ...

At the start of World War II, the Army Air Force had three active Air Force Regiments. Planes which were used by those regiments were the Renard R-31 and R-32, the Fiat CR.42, the Hawker Hurricane, the Gloster Gladiator, the Fairey Fox, and the Fairey Battle. These were massacred by the much superior German Luftwaffe in the German invasion of May 1940. After the surrender of Belgium on 28 May 1940, a very small Belgian Air Force in exile was created in Great Britain. This small force was active within the British Royal Air Force, and its squadrons were equipped with versions of the much better aircraft, the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Typhoon. The Renard R-31 was a Belgian reconnaissance aircraft of the 1930s. ... Fiat CR.42 Falco The Fiat CR.42 Falco (Falcon) was a biplane which served as the primary fighter aircraft of Italys Regia Aeronautica at the outbreak of World War II. // Development The epitome of a biplane fighter, CR.42 represented evolution of the Italian designs starting with Fiat... The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... Gloster Gladiator photographed in England in 2002 The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as a number of other air forces, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... The Fairey Fox was a light bomber and fighter biplane of the 1920s and 1930s. ... Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a light bomber of the Royal Air Force built by Fairey Aviation in the late 1930s. ... “RAF” redirects here. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter, which was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during the Second World War, and into the 1950s. ... The Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft starting in 1941. ...

During the Cold War

Ensign of Belgian Air Force

On October 15, 1946, the Belgian military aviation was turned into an autonomous force, independent of the Belgian Army. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the Cold War, at various times the Belgian Air Force operated the following planes:

• The British Gloster Meteor fighter
• The American Republic F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bomber
• The American Douglas C-47B Skytrain and Fairchild C-119F/G Flying Boxcar transports.
• Fouga Magister
• The American Boeing 727-200
• The Canadian Avro-Canada CF-100 Canuck interceptor
• The British Hawker Hunter attack plane
• The American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a NATO standard fighter/interceptor of many countries, including The Netherlands, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the USAF
• The French Dassault Mirage III
• The British Britten-Norman BN-2B-21 Islander
• The American Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport
• Douglas DC-3 passenger transport
• The American General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, a NATO standard fighter/interceptor of many countries, including Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, and the USAF.
• The French/German Alpha Jet
• The Italian SIAI-Marchetti SF.260M/D propellor-driven trainer aircraft

and helicopters: The Gloster Meteor was the Allies first operational jet fighter. ... The Republic Aviation F-84 Thunderjet was an American-built turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. ... The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. ... The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was a U.S. military transport aircraft developed from the World War II Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute. ... A two seat turbojet powered trainer aircraft, the first Magister prototype flew on 23 July 1952. ... Sun Country 727 The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet_liner in the world. ... The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, (affectionately known as the Clunk), was a Canadian jet fighter serving during the Cold War. ... The Hawker Hunter was a British jet fighter aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s. ... The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967 and continued in service with the Air National Guard until it was phased out in 1975. ... The Dassault Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ... The Britten-Norman Islander (also known as the BN-2) is a light utility aircraft manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. ... The Lockheed SR-71 was remarkably advanced for its time and remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft, which revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s and is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made (also see Boeing 707 and Boeing 747). ... General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is a defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2006 it is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world[2]. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... Alpha Jet owned by Red Bull The Alpha Jet is a light attack and advanced trainer aircraft manufactured by Dornier of Germany and Dassault-Breguet of France. ... The Aermacchi F-260 is a light aircraft marketed as an aerobatics plane and a military trainer. ...

• The French Aérospatiale Alouette II and Aérospatiale Alouette III
• The American S-58
• The British Westland Sea King, built under license from Sikorsky

The Alouette II is a light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale of France. ... It has been suggested that IAR 316 be merged into this article or section. ... The Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw (also known as Sikorsky S-58) was a helicopter originally designed for the US Navy for service in the ASW role. ... For the original Viking use of the name, see Sea-King. ...

Post-Cold War reforms - COMOPSAIR

In the beginning of the nineties, the end of the Cold War caused the Belgian government to restructure the Belgian Armed Forces in order to cope with the changed threats. This meant cutbacks and crimping of the Armed Forces. The Belgian Air Force was hit hard and saw its strength more than halved with the disbanding of the 3rd Tactical Wing in Bierset (1994); the disbanding of the 1st Fighter Wing in Beauvechain; the 9th Training Wing in Sint-Truiden; and the Elementary Flying School in Goetsenhoven (1996). Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Beauvechain (Dutch: Bevekom) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. ... Geography Country Belgium Community Flemish Community Region Flemish Region Province Limburg Arrondissement Hasselt Coordinates Area 106. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2002, the Belgian government decided to emulate Canada and impose a "single structure" on its armed forces in which the independent Belgian Air Force ceased to exist. The former Air Force became the Belgium Air Component (COMOPSAIR) of the Armed Forces. COMOPSAIR nowadays consists of 2nd Tactical Wing in Florennes and 10th Tactical Wing in Kleine Brogel, both flying F-16's in 4 squadrons. Out of the 160 F-16s originally bought by Belgium, only 10 were upgraded; with further reductions to 72 aircraft in 2005; and planned to 60 by 2015. The 1st Wing at Beauvechain is assigned with the training of pilots for which the Marchetti propellor-driven trainer aircraft is used for elementary training, and the Alpha Jet for advanced training. Advanced fighter training occurs in the F-16 at Kleine Brogel. Florennes is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur. ... Peer is a municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

COMOPSAIR still uses the Lockheed C-130 Hercules in the 15th Air Transport Wing based at Melsbroek, Belgium, which in time is planned to be replaced by seven Airbus A400M transport planes. VIPs are transported with Embraer 135/145 jets, and the Dassault 20/900. The Sea King helicopters and the Alouette III SAR helicopters will be active for years. They will be replaced by NH-90's (10: 4 NFH + 4 TTH + 2 TTH's in option). The Lockheed SR-71 was remarkably advanced for its time and remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... The Airbus A400M is a four-engine turboprop aircraft, designed by Airbus Military to meet the demand of European nations for military airlift. ... The Falcon is a family of business jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation. ... The NHI NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries, a company established by Agusta, Eurocopter and Stork Fokker Aerospace. ...

In 2004, as part of the new unified structure, the Army Aviations units were transferred to the COMOPSAIR. These contain the Agusta A109 attack helicopter, and the Alouette II training and recce helicopter. The Agusta A109 is a helicopter manufactured by Agusta (now AgustaWestland) of Italy. ...

Within the framework of its commitments within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO. Belgium has allotted its 72 F-16s to NATO purposes. Two squadrons with a total of 16 aircraft have been designated for use by the Rapid Reaction Forces. NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ...

in mid 2007, unofficial rumors were circulating that there are plans to replace the 2 A-310's with 2 new build A-330's, and that the Falcon 20/900B's would be replaced by 2 Embraer Legacy aircraft. But with current political events and budget cuts, this seems verry unlikely.

Recent Operations

In January 1991, 18 Mirage III aircraft of the 3rd Tactical Wing were deployed to Turkey's Diyarbakır air base. During this operation, Belgian planes carried out several flights along the Iraqi border. After this operation the obsolete Mirage III's were phased out. 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Diyarbakır (Ottoman Turkish: دیاربکر land of the Bekr as derived from Persian; Kurdish Amed; Syriac ; Greek Amida; Armenian Ô±Õ´Õ«Õ¤ Amid) is a major city in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. ...

On July 15, 1996 a C-130 with serial CH-06 carrying 37 members of the Dutch Army Fanfare Band and 4 crew crashed at Eindhoven after a birdstrike while executing a go-around resulting in the loss of power to three engines. 34 Netherlands military were killed as a result of the crash and onboard fire, only 7 survived. is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Eindhoven Airport (IATA: EIN, ICAO: EHEH) is a small airport near Eindhoven, Netherlands. ...

From October 1996 on, the Belgian Air Force cooperated with the Dutch Royal Air Force in the Deployable Air Task Force in patrolling former Yuguslavian airspace. F-16s of the 2nd and 10th Tactical Wings, operating from the Italian bases of Villafranca and Amendola, were assigned to missions insuring the control of a No-Fly Zone over Yugoslavia, and providing the air support necessary for UN and NATO troops. Between March 24 and June 10, 1999, 12 Belgian F-16s carried out 679 combat sorties - the first time since the second World War that Belgian aircraft took part in active war operations in enemy territory - against Serbia during the Kosovo crisis. The last Belgian F-16 detachment left Italy in August 2001. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthem Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian 1 Recognised regional languages Hungarian, Croatian, Slovak, Romanian, Rusyn 2 Albanian 3 Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Boris Tadić  -  Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  -  Formation 812   -  Kingdom established 1217   -  Empire established 1346   -  Independence lost to... Kosovo (Albanian: Kosova or Kosovë, Serbian: , transliterated ; also , transliterated ) is a region in southern Serbia which has been under United Nations administration since 1999. ... 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Deaths: August 25 - Aaliyah Films: August 10 - Osmosis Jones played by Chris Rock, starring Bill Murray August 24 - Bubble Boy Categories: 2001 by month ...

On March 29, 2004, four F-16s from Kleine Brogel were transferred under NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission to the Sioulai air base in Lithuania for three months, where they were employed in monitoring the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian skies. is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. ...

In July 2005, four F-16s deployed to Afghanistan to support the NATO International Security Assistance Force.[1] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... Logo of ISAF. Persian writing: کمک و همکاری (Komak va Hamkari) means Help and Cooperation. International Security Assistance Force (10) (ISAF) is an international military force in Afghanistan led by NATO and consisting of about 32,000 personnel from 37 nations as of October 5, 2006. ...

On September 9, 2005, an F-16 crashed near Vlieland, The Netherlands. The pilot was killed. is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Satellite image Vlieland (Frisian: Flylân) is a municipality in the northern Netherlands. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain...

In 2006, Belgian Hunter unmanned air vehicles deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the EU EUFOR peacekeeping mission. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pioneer UAV flying over Iraq UAVs in a hangar A Boeing 720 being flown under remote control as part of NASAs Controlled Impact Demonstration An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also called a drone, is a term used by the US military, the Israeli Defence Forces and others to describe... EUFOR former Commander General David Leakey Soldier of the EUFOR participating in operation Spring Lift, as part of Althea The EUFOR or European Union Force is an international military force under the supervision of the European Council. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

On May 5, 2006, a Belgian C-130 "Hercules" undergoing updating at the Sabena Technics was destroyed when the hangar that it was in burned to the ground. The C-130 and three commercial planes were destroyed beyond recovery. The Belgian Air Force has announced it's intention to acquire a secondhand C-130 to replace the one lost in the fire. is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On December 1, 2006 the Belgian Air Force deployed again under Baltic Air Policing mission four F-16 MLU aircraft to Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, where they are used to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Belgium deploys F-16s to police Baltic airspace is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. ...

The current Commander of the Air Component is Lieutenant-General Gerard Van Caelenberge.

Strength

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]	Notes
Aérospatiale Alouette II	France	Light Utility Helicopter	SA 318C	13
Aérospatiale Alouette III	France	Light Utility Helicopter	SA 316B	3
Agusta A109	Italy	Light Recce/Attack Helicopter	A109BA	28
Airbus A310	France	VIP Transport Aircraft	A310-222	2
Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet	France	Jet Trainer	Alpha Jet E	29
Dassault Falcon 20	France	Light Transport Aircraft	Falcon 20C	2	Utility Transport
Dassault Falcon 900	France	Light Transport Aircraft		1	Utility Transport
Embraer ERJ 135	Brazil	Light Transport Aircraft	ERJ 135LR	2	Utility transport
Embraer ERJ 145	Brazil	Light Transport Aircraft	ERJ 145LR	2	Utility Transport
Grob G-102 Astir	Germany	Trainer Sailplane		6
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	Medium Transport Aircraft	C-130E/H	11 (10 "H" + 1 "E" model joining in 2008/9)	Utility Transport
Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	Multirole Fighter	Total F-16AM (fighter) F-16BM (trainer)	68 53 15	initial versions; no mid-life upgrading
Piper PA-18 Super Cub	United States	Light Utility Aircraft	L-21B	5
Aermacchi SF.260	Italy	Propeller-driven Trainer	Total SF.260D SF.260M	34 9 25
Westland Sea King	United Kingdom	Search and rescue helicopter	Mk.48	5	To be replaced with the NH90 in 2011(total of 8).
RQ-5 Hunter(B-Hunter)	Israel	Reconnaissance UAV	MQ-5B	6 aircraft and two ground control stations

The Alouette II is a light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale of France. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... It has been suggested that IAR 316 be merged into this article or section. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Agusta A109 is a helicopter manufactured by Agusta (now AgustaWestland) of Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It was Airbus second model to be introduced, and is a shortened derivative of the A300. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Alpha Jet owned by Red Bull The Alpha Jet is a light attack and advanced trainer aircraft manufactured by Dornier of Germany and Dassault-Breguet of France. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Dassault Falcon 20s at RIAT 2005. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Dassault Falcon 900 takes off. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Astir CS in flight The G-102 Astir is a single seat glassfibre Standard Class sailplane, designed by Burkhart Grob and built by GROB. It was the first sailplane GROB serially produced, with the first flight in December 1974). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics in the United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Aermacchi SF.260 is a light aircraft marketed as an aerobatics plane and a military trainer. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... For the original Viking use of the name, see Sea-King. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The NHI NH90 is a twin-engine, ten-ton multi-role helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries, a company established by Agusta, Eurocopter and Stork Fokker Aerospace. ... U.S. Army Hunter (RQ-5) unmanned aircraft The RQ-5 Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was originally intended to serve as the United States Armys Short Range UAV system for division and corps commanders. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Unmanned Aerial Vehicle over Iraq. ...

External link

• Official website