Belgium Wants Its F-35 Jets Produced in Italy Instead of the U.S.

Belgium has officially requested that its next batch of F-35 fighter jets be produced in Italy rather than the United States, according to Defense Minister Theo Francken.

Francken said he has already discussed the proposal with Italy’s Defense Minister, emphasizing that manufacturing the aircraft in Europe would directly benefit European industry. “I asked the Italian Defense Minister if we could produce these planes in Italy instead of the United States,” Francken told reporters. “This would also create jobs in Europe.”

Belgium’s initial order for 34 F-35s was placed in 2018 under then-Defense Minister Steven Vandeput. Those jets, supplied by U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin, are being built in Fort Worth, Texas. The first aircraft from that order are now ready, and Belgian pilots are undergoing training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

The newly proposed jets are also expected to be F-35s, but Francken wants their final assembly to take place at the Cameri facility in Italy, which currently handles some European F-35 production under Lockheed Martin’s international program.

The move comes ahead of a key NATO summit scheduled for the end of June in The Hague, where member countries are expected to face calls to increase defense spending. Francken confirmed that Belgium’s government has reached an internal consensus on boosting defense investment to meet new NATO targets. “We have agreed in the government to realize this new NATO goal soon,” he said.

Although details on the number of additional jets and the cost have not been released, the average price of an F-35 is around €80 million. Belgium’s previous order of 34 aircraft cost about €2.7 billion.

The request to shift production to Italy could also intersect with the European Union’s “purchase from Europe” rule. This regulation allows EU countries to borrow more for defense spending if the procurement directly benefits the EU economy.