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Belgium Proposes F-35 Assembly at Italy's Cameri Facility, Aiming to Reduce Lockheed Martin Dependency Ahead of NATO Summit

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Updated Apr 16, 2025, 11:19 AM

Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken has proposed that the country's next batch of F-35 fighter jets be assembled in Italy at the Cameri facility, rather than in the United States. This proposal aims to strengthen Europe's industrial and strategic goals by shifting production to the European continent. The move is part of a broader effort by Belgium to meet NATO's defense spending targets and reduce its dependency on U.S. military hardware, specifically Lockheed Martin. Francken has discussed this initiative with Italy's Defense Minister, highlighting the potential for job creation in Europe. Belgium plans to increase its defense spending by 3.900 million euros in 2025 to reach the NATO goal of 2% of GDP. This strategic shift comes ahead of a key NATO summit and includes the creation of a Fondo Estratégico de Defensa to further support European defense industry development.

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Sources

defensemirror.com huffingtonpost.es tijd.be defenceturk.net

La Razón

@larazon_es

🛫 Europe brings F-35 fighter production closer to Spain to reduce its dependence on the United States. 🇧🇪 The Belgian Government increases its military spending and seeks to transfer part of the F-35 production to Europe, away from US dependence https://t.co/VaaL6R1tnV

DefenseMirror

@DefenseMirror

Belgium Wants Its F-35 Jets Produced in Italy Instead of the U.S.:: https://t.co/VQJYEhjVji #Belgium #F35 #NATO #DefenseSpending #Italy #EUDefense #LockheedMartin #Cameri #MilitaryNews #AerospaceEurope #FighterJets #NATOSummit https://t.co/cgPdYsqKRY