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About Belgian Air Component (Dutch: Luchtcomponent, French: Composante air), "BAF"

Amazing The French Air and Space Force (French: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, lit. 'Army of Air and Space') is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces.

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Commeercial & Military aircraft, Belgian Airforce Luchtvaart Component

Farman

Fiat Gr.42

Fouga Magister

GD F-16 Falcon

Bleriot XXI

Hawker Hurricane

Aermacchi SF.260

Dassault Mirage 5

Fairey Fox

Gloster Gladiator

Gloster Meteor

Agusta A109 Helicopter

Fairey Battle Mk.1

Supermarine Spitfire

Avro_CF-100_Canuck

Belgian AF Main page

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Belgian Air Component Wikipedia link

Foundation and early years Luchtcomponent was founded in 1909 as a branch of the Belgian Army, carrying the name Compagnie des Ouvriers et Aérostiers. King Albert's interest in the military use of aircraft was the main impetus for its formation. Coincidentally, in the civil aviation sector, Baron Pierre de Caters earned the first civil pilot's brevet that same year. De Caters would promptly establish an aviation school.

Amazing Belgian Air Arm.

The Belgian Air Component (Dutch: Luchtcomponent, French: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force (Dutch: Belgische Luchtmacht; French: Force aérienne belge). It was founded in 1909 and is one of the world's oldest air services. The commander is Major General Thierry Dupont, appointed on 17 September 2020.[

BAF "Belgian"

History

World War I

By the time of Belgium's entry into the First World War on 4 August 1914, the military aviation branch, now called the Aviation Militaire Belge (Belgische militaire luchtvaart), consisted of four squadrons, each consisting of four 80-horsepower Farman aircraft, although Escadrilles III and IV were still forming. A truck was assigned to each squadron, along with a fifth truck serving as a mobile workshop. Each squadron had a commander, five pilots, and six observers, with all officers seconded from parent units. As a result, most of the new aviators were from the Engineers and Artillery components of the Belgian armed forces. As the war began, a fifth squadron was created, staffed with civilian pilots called to the colors and equipped with Bleriots.

Sous Lieutenant Henri Crombez flew one of the first war patrols, in a Deperdussin racer on 4 August 1914 above Liège. Adjutant Behaeghe was the first to engage an enemy, a few days later. On 26 September, the Belgian air crew of Sous Lieutenant de Petrowski and Sergeant Benselin mortally wounded a German pilot with a rifle bullet and forced his Taube to land at Sint-Agatha-Berchem; if they had submitted a claim for this victory, its approval would have marked history's first air-to-air combat victory

Created in 1909

Commanders
Belgian Air Component wings
Founded	1909
Country	Belgium
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	6,500 (2019) 119 aircraft and UAV's
Part of	Belgian Armed Forces
Website	www.mil.be
Currentcommander	Major General Thierry Dupont
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Ensign
Aircraft flown
Fighter	F-16A
Helicopter	NH90, AW109BAi
Trainer	F-16B, SF.260
Transport	A400M Atlas, Dassault Falcon 7X
Tanker	A330 MRTT (NATO MRTT unit)

Aircraft Inventory Belgian Air Component
(Dutch: Luchtcomponent, French: Composante air) "BAF".

Retired fleet

Retired Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft
Fairey Battle	United Kingdom	bomber		14
Fairey Fox	United Kingdom	light bomber	II, III, VI, VIII	115
Fiat CR.42	Italy	fighter		23
Gloster Gladiator	United Kingdom	fighter		15
Supermarine Spitfire	United Kingdom	fighter	FR Mk XIV	53
Gloster Meteor	United Kingdom	fighter	F.4/F.8/NF.11	304	the NF.11 served as a night fighter
Hawker Hurricane	United Kingdom	fighter	Mk I	11	license built by SABCA
Avro CF-100 Canuck	Canada	Interceptor	CF-100 Mk 5	53	In service 1957 – 1964
Republic F-84 Thunderjet	United States	fighter-bomber	F-84E/H	213	In service 1951 – 1956
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak	United States	fighter-bomber	F-84F	197	In service 1955 – 1972
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter	United States	Interceptor	F-104G	100	In service 1963 – 1983
Dassault Mirage 5	France	Bomber	BA	63	In service 1970 – 1994

Gallery

Photo Gallery
Belgian Air Component Air Force "BAF"

Historical famous Airforce
Belgian Air Component BAF

Future Belgian Air Component

In the strategic defence vision report of the Belgian government it was stated that the Belgian air component will invest in 34 new fighter aircraft being introduced into service 2025–2030 and contribute for one aerial refuelling aircraft (A330 MRTT) as part of the Multi National Tanker Transport squadron based at Eindhoven Airport, to be able to deploy the new fighter aircraft in a more independent fashion.

The Sea King helicopters were retired in March 2019 after 43 years of service. The Alpha Jet was also retired in December 2019 and sold to Top Aces in July 2020. Future pilot training is to be conducted in the US at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program based at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas In addition, the three Alouette III helicopters flown for the Belgian Navy were phased out in 2021 after 50 years of operational service.

On 25 October 2018, Belgium officially selected the offer for 34 F-35As to replace the current fleet of around 53 F-16s. In the accompanied news conference, government officials stated that the decision to select the F-35 over the Eurofighter Typhoon came down to the price, and later stated that "The offer from the Americans was the best in all our seven valuation criteria". The total purchasing price for the aircraft and its support until 2030 totaled €4 billion, €600 million cheaper than the initially budgeted €4.6 billion. First deliveries are scheduled to take place in 2023.

In 2018 the Belgian Government approved the negotiations to acquire two General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian MALE drones which are planned to be operational from 2023, replacing the IAI Hunter drones phased out since early 2021

In August 2022 the Belgian Parliament approved the new law on military programming, the STAR-plus plan; the Air Component will have a new helicopter fleet. The remaining ten Agusta A109Bai will be retired and the four green NH90 TTH helicopters will be withdrawn from service. (There were 8 in total, only 4 of the NFH version will remain in service) In the plan, the new fleet will look like this:

15 light helicopters (budget: €250 million)
10 heavy transport helicopters (budget: €612 million)
4 SAR helicopters (budget: €181 million)
4 existing NH-90 NFH helicopters for all naval tasks

This would replace the current fleet of 18 helicopters (10 Agusta A109 and 8 NH90) with a fleet of 32 helicopters.

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Famous Aircraft Belgian Air Component BAF

Belgian Air Component amazing aircraft of the past.

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Farman HF.20

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Belgian Air Component BAF

NHIndustries NH90 "Caiman"

General characteristics


A French Navy NH90
Role	Medium utility military helicopter
National origin	Multinational
Manufacturer	NHIndustries
First flight	18 December 1995
Introduction	2007
Status	In service
Primary users	Italian Armed Forces Bundeswehr (Germany) French Armed Forces Spanish Armed Forces
Produced	1995–present
Number built	515 as of March 2024
Variants	MRH-90 Taipan

Specifications

Crew: 2 flight crew + loadmaster / sensor operator
Capacity: 20 seated troops; or 12 medevac stretchers; or 2 NATO pallets; or 4,200 kg external slung load
Length: 16.13 m (52 ft 11 in)
Empty weight: 6,400 kg
Max takeoff weight: 10,600 kg
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric CT7-8E turboshaft engines, (2,474 hp) each (option)
Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322- turboshaft engines, (2,417 hp

Armament

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (190 mph, 160 kn)
Range: 800 km (500 mi, TTH

1,000 km (620 mi; 540 nmi) NFH

Endurance: 5 hours
Service ceiling: 6,000 m
Rate of climb: 8 m/s (1,600 ft/min)

Wiki Link

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