2026-09-07

Council of Ministers greens-lights renovation and widening of Florennes secondary runway
During the Council of Ministers on Friday, September 4, 2026, the Belgian federal government green-lit the procurement of six new public contracts for Defence. One of these files concerns the renovation and widening of the secondary runway at the Florennes air base. This decision comes at an important moment for Florennes. The base is currently undergoing an extensive modernization and is playing an increasingly vital role within the future capabilities of the Belgian Air Component.
Today, Florennes is the home base for the Belgian F-35A Lightning II. The first three Belgian F-35s arrived there in October 2025, and the new operational capability has been further expanded since. The infrastructure at the base is being adapted and extended to support this. Additionally, Florennes is the home base of the 2nd Squadron "Comet", which is responsible for the new Belgian MQ-9B SkyGuardian capability. The base serves as the operational center for these unmanned aircraft.
As a result, the operational significance of Florennes has grown substantially over recent years. This was highlighted in 2026 during the first international operational deployment of a Belgian MQ-9B. An aircraft was deployed from Florennes to Sigonella in Sicily as part of Operation Silent Spear, supporting NATO operations Sea Guardian and Noble Shield. During this deployment, the Belgian MQ-9Bs completed more than 400 flight hours.
Against this backdrop, the renovation and widening of the secondary runway also takes on a special significance. The official decision of the Council of Ministers does not yet provide further technical details regarding the execution of the works, but the investment clearly aligns with the ongoing modernization of the military infrastructure at Florennes. For a base where both F-35A fighter jets and MQ-9B SkyGuardians are currently deployed, and which furthermore plays a role in international and NATO operations, a modern and optimally deployable infrastructure is of paramount importance.
Source and image : MOD communication, Belgian defence, Belgian Air Force
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