Aircraft

Four ex-Belgian air force Lockheed Martin F-16A/B fighters left Kleine-Brogel air base on 10 September for a delivery flight to Muwaffaq Salti air base, where they will enter use with the Royal Jordanian Air Force's 2 Sqn.

Representing the first batch from a total of 16 surplus Belgian aircraft, the two F-16A fighters and two F-16B trainers (one pictured below) performed refuelling stops at Aviano in Italy and Souda Bay, Greece.

© Joris van Boven/Sentry Aviation News

The next delivery is expected in mid-October, with all the aircraft to be handed over this year, along with a further six secondhand F-16Bs acquired from the Netherlands. All 22 aircraft have previously undergone a mid-life update modernisation programme.

The Belgian government early this decade decided to cut its active air force fleet of F-16s to 72 aircraft under its "Strategic Plan 2000-15", with the surplus aircraft having been placed in storage before a joint Belgian/Dutch deal was brokered with Jordan last year.

Six Jordanian pilots underwent training on Belgium's F-16 operational conversion unit at Kleine-Brogel last year, with 68 technicians having received instruction at its air force school at Saffraanberg.