Belgium allegedly picks F-35 over Eurofighter Typhoon
Brussels has picked the advanced US F-35 Lightning II fighter jet to replace Belgium's aging fleet of F-16 jets, the Belgian newspaper DeMorgen cited several government sources as saying on Monday.
"The decision has already been made in favor of the F-35," the sources pointed out.
Last month, US Ambassador to Belgium Ronald Gidwitz urged the Belgian government to make a decision on the tender for acquiring 34 new fighter jets by mid-October. The latest deadline for the decision was reportedly scheduled for October 29.
His remarks came after the US concern Lockheed Martin which manufactures the F-35 Lightning II and the British BAE Systems, manufacturer of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter, became the only participants in the competition to re-equip the Belgian Air Force with the new-generation fighter bombers.
The new aircraft are due to replace the fleet of F-16 fighters that have been in service at the Belgian Air Force since the early 1980s.
The Belgian government reportedly plans to allocate a total of 15 billion euros (17.2 billion dollars) for the purchase and maintenance of the new 34 warplanes.
Source: Sputnik
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