Gosselies: Belgium inaugurated its first production line for horizontal tail sections of the F-35A fighter jet at the Sonaca facility in Gosselies. This development marks Belgium's entry into the global supply chain for the fifth-generation aircraft.
According to Anadolu Agency, the announcement was made during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Defense Minister Theo Francken, Walloon Minister-President Adrien Dolimont, and Walloon Minister of Economy Pierre-Yves Jeholet, alongside US Ambassador Bill White. The new fully digitalized facility at the Gosselies site of aerospace manufacturer Sonaca has already produced its first horizontal stabilizer for the F-35A, which is set to replace Belgium's aging F-16 fleet.
Officials stated that the program represents more than £400 million ($466 million) in projected economic benefits and is expected to create 150 skilled jobs by 2035. The horizontal tail section, a critical flight-control component located at the rear of the aircraft, plays a key role in stabilizing the F-35 and controlling pitch, while also supporting stealth performance requirements.
Under the industrial consortium named BeLightning, production is distributed across multiple Belgian aerospace companies. Final assembly of the tail sections occurs at Sonaca in Gosselies before they are shipped to BAE Systems for integration into final F-35 production lines in Italy and the US.
The investment in the program is estimated at £192 million, with production planned for around 400 aircraft, corresponding to 800 tail assemblies, at a projected rate of approximately 30 aircraft per year.
Defending the program's strategic relevance, Prime Minister De Wever emphasized Belgium's role not only as a customer but also as an industrial partner within NATO defense production chains. "We cannot depend on strategic rivals for technologies that underpin our security. But within an alliance, cooperation is a strength," he said.
Defense Minister Francken highlighted the European dimension of the F-35 supply network, noting multinational production contributions across several NATO countries. "What is happening here is the Europeanization of the F-35 in practice," he said, pointing out the collaboration involving Belgian tail assemblies, German fuselage sections, Finnish forward sections, and Italian assembly, asserting that it was "not a typical purchase from an American supplier."