Belgian Air Component

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces


caption=One of the F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Belgian Air Component
dates=1909-1915: Company of Aviators
1915-1940: Military Aviation
1940-1946: Belgian Section, RAF
1946-1949: Military Aviation
1949-2002: Belgian Air Force
2002-present: Air Component
country=flagicon|Belgium Belgium
allegiance=
branch=
type=
role=
size=8,600 personnel
command_structure=
garrison=
garrison_label=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
equipment=
equipment_label=
battles=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
commander1=Lieutenant-General Gerard Van Caelenberge
commander1_label=Commander
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Roundel
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_label_2=EnsignThe 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.

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.

During the interbellum, the Belgian Air Force flew with Breguet 19.

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.

The following (possibly incomplete) table lists the inventory of the Belgian Air Force as in May 1940 [ [http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/BAFAircraft/Bafallaircrafte_l.htm Aircraft Used by the Belgian Armed forces ] ] :

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).

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 105 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".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, the Dassault 20/900 and the Airbus A310. 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).

In 2004, as part of the new unified structure, the Army Aviation units were transferred to the COMOPSAIR. These contain the Agusta A109 attack helicopter, and the Alouette II training and recce helicopter.

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".

In February 2008, minister of defence Pieter De Crem announced that due to increasing problems and poor servicability, the 2 A310's are to be replaced as soon as possible by two aircraft in the same class.

Recent Operations

In January 1991, 18 Mirage 5 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 5's were phased out.

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.

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.

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.

In July 2005, four F-16s deployed to Afghanistan to support the NATO International Security Assistance Force. [http://www2.hq.nato.int/isaf/update/Press_Releases/newsrelease/2005/Release_12July05_46.htm]

On September 9, 2005, an F-16 crashed near Vlieland, The Netherlands. The pilot was killed.

In 2006, Belgian Hunter unmanned air vehicles deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the EU EUFOR peacekeeping mission.

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 announced its intention to acquire a second hand C-130 to replace the one lost in the fire. A month later, the Air Component acquired a C-130E from the American operator Evergreen (serial N130EV, to become CH14).

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. [http://www.f-16.net/news_article2075.html Belgium deploys F-16s to police Baltic airspace]

As from August 2008, four F-16's will be deployed to Kandahar in Afghanistan in support of the Dutch land forces. [ [http://www.f-16.net/news_article2731.html Belgium to deploy 4 F-16s to Afghanistan] ]

On June 27, 2008 an Agusta A109 helicopter crashed in Halleux. The pilot, co-pilot, a doctor and a nurse where injured.

Strength

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service"World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, "Aviation Week & Space Technology", January 15 2007.] ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
-----
Aérospatiale SA 318 Alouette II
FRA
Light Utility Helicopter
SA 318C
5 [ [http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/belgium/index.php Belgian military aviation OrBat] ]
3 will remain in service until 2011
-----
Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III
FRA
Light Utility Helicopter
SA 316B
3
Mainly used by Belgian Navy
-----
Agusta A109
ITA
Light Recce/Attack Helicopter
A109BA
31

-----
Airbus A310
EU
VIP / Troop Transport Aircraft
A310-222
2
Replacement intended following period of poor reliability [ [http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/219304/2008/03/25/Weerspanninge-Airbus-toestellen-van-het-leger-opnieuw-in-gebruik.dhtml De morgen: A310 back in use (Dutch)] ]
-----
Airbus A400M
EU
Medium Transport Aircraft
A400M
0
Intention to order 7, with deliveries from 2018 [ [http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/belgium/index.php Belgian military aviation OrBat] ]
-----
Aermacchi SF.260
ITA
Propeller-driven Trainer
Total
SF.260D
SF.260M
34
9
25

-----
Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet
FRA
Jet Trainer
Alpha Jet E
29
Based in France for joint training with French Air Force
-----
Dassault Falcon 20
FRA
Light Transport Aircraft
Falcon 20E
2

-----
Dassault Falcon 900
FRA
Light Transport Aircraft
Falcon 900B
1

-----
Embraer ERJ 135
BRA
Light Transport Aircraft
ERJ 135LR
2

-----
Embraer ERJ 145
BRA
Light Transport Aircraft
ERJ 145LR
2

-----
Grob G-102 Astir
GER
Trainer Sailplane
G-102
6
Used by Air Cadets
-----
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
USA
Medium Transport Aircraft
C-130H
10
1 C-130E ordered and delivered; modification in progress [ [http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/belgium/index.php Belgian military aviation OrBat] ]
-----
Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon
USA
Multirole Fighter
Total
F-16AM
F-16BM
68
53
15
MLU versions
-----
NHI NH90
EU
Transport Helicopter
Total
NFH
TTH
10
4
6
To be delivered from 2011
-----
RQ-5 Hunter (B-Hunter)
ISR
Reconnaissance UAV
MQ-5B
6 aircraft and two ground control stations

-----
Westland Sea King
UK
Search and rescue helicopter
Mk.48
5
Will be replaced from 2011 by NHI NH90 [ [http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/belgium/index.php Belgian military aviation OrBat] ]

ee also

* List of F-104 Starfighter operators

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Pacco, John. "Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het Militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique Militaire 1930-1940". Aartselaar, Belgium, 2003. ISBN 90-801136-6-2.

External links

* [http://www.mil.be/aircomp/index.asp?LAN=en Official website]

European topic
title = Air Forces in Europe
suffix = _Air_Force
countries_only=yes |UK_only=yes