Belgium could be getting $236 million in arms sales with the U.S. Department of State‘s approval of its request for anti-ship missiles on Monday.
Also included in the AGM-184 Joint Strike Missiles package are spare parts, consumables and accessories; repair and return support; training aids; software delivery and support.
The department said in a press release: “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 Defense with completing its core tasks of contributing to the collective defense of NATO,”
Defense Blog said the move means Belgium will be able to arm its F-35A fighter jets with a weapon specifically designed to strike ships and hardened targets from well outside the range of enemy air defenses.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace located in Kongsberg, Norway, will serve as the principal contractor, per Defense Industry Europe. And because the potential sale is being processed through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales procedure, RTX Corporation will act as an intermediary.
So far, five countries—Norway, the United States, Japan, Australia and Germany—have ordered the missiles, the publication added.
Belgium has faced growing pressure to modernize its armed forces and improve readiness levels in line with NATO capability targets, the Defense Watch noted.
“Precision guided munitions and long range strike systems have become a central focus for many allied air forces seeking to deter potential adversaries while maintaining operational flexibility,” the publication stated.
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