Belgium to buy JSM missiles for F-35A
A Belgian F-35A seen in the US ahead of delivery to Florennes Air Base. The Belgian Air Force is to equip its fleet with the JSM for deep strike and anti-shipping capabilities. (Belgian Air Force)
The US government has approved the sale to Belgium of Kongsberg-RTX AGM-184 Joint Strike Missiles (JSMs) to equip its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) combat aircraft.
Announced by the US Department of State on 18 May 2026, the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) approval covers an undisclosed number of missiles, as well as related equipment, spares and support for an estimated total value of USD236 million.
“The proposed sale will improve Belgium's capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the lethality of its F-35 platform and assisting the Belgium Ministry of Defence with completing its core tasks of contributing to the collective defence of NATO,” the state department said.
The approval notification did not provide a delivery timeline.
Belgium currently has 34 F-35As under contract to be built at Fort Worth, with a further 11 to be ordered. Deliveries to the Belgian Air Force's (BAF's) Florennes Air Base began in October 2025. The type is to replace the incumbent Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon in the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) role and other missions by 2027.
As with other customers for whom the F-35A will be their sole combat aircraft, the BAF will use the type in both air defence and ground attack roles, with the JSM providing deep strike and anti-ship capabilities. The JSM is a precision‐guided stand‐off missile, optimised for use by aircraft against both naval and land targets. The low-observable weapon's anti‐ship attack capability uses imaging infrared (IIR) guidance and a 120 kg impact or time delay warhead.
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