Belgian defense industry companies are in discussions to establish joint production facilities in Ukraine.

This was confirmed by Luc Jacobs, the Belgian Ambassador to Ukraine, in an interview with Ukrinform news agency.

“Belgium has a strong defense industry, and representatives from leading companies, our flagships, are coming to Ukraine to establish contacts with their Ukrainian counterparts. In some cases, we are already at an advanced stage of preparing agreements for joint production. We are even talking about creating joint ventures that are intended to last beyond the war period. There is a lively dynamic in this work,” Jacobs stated.

He added that the Ukrainian defense industry had proven itself to be a valuable partner, offering much to learn from.

In November 2024, it was announced that Belgian company Thales Belgium would assist Ukraine in the joint production of missiles to counter drones.

Under a memorandum between Ukraine and Thales Belgium, the company will support the production of 70 mm FZ275 LGR missiles with a laser homing head.

The Ukrainian defense industry has also had a longstanding and productive partnership with Belgian company Cockerill, which is involved in the modernization of armored vehicles by installing its own combat modules.

Belgian F-16s

In addition, Jacobs highlighted that, despite delays in the transfer of F-16 fighter jets due to a postponement in the delivery of ordered F-35s, Belgium remained committed to providing Ukraine with 30 F-16 aircraft. This will make Belgium the largest donor of F-16s announced to date.

The Belgian Ambassador noted that Belgium was focused on training Ukrainian pilots. Belgian authorities have already provided F-16 aircraft for training purposes, along with support for ground services. Belgium is also transferring spare parts and offering maintenance for the aircraft.

In 2025, F-16s will be transferred to Ukraine to serve as spare parts donors. From 2026 onwards, combat-ready vehicles will be delivered. The bilateral security agreement, which sets the framework for the aircraft transfer, has a deadline of 2028. “So we are already significantly ahead of schedule,” Jacobs added.

In February 2025, it was reported that Ukraine had been in talks with Belgium about localizing fighter maintenance and training Ukrainian F-16 pilots and technical personnel within the country.

This was confirmed by Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov following a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Theo Franken.

Umerov also shared that the Prime Minister of Belgium had a positive stance on deploying Belgian troops as part of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. However, such actions would require a strong, fair peace agreement and a clear mandate.