Jordan Buys 20 F-16 MLU from Holland, Belgium
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In April 2006, our Benelux subscriber David Vandenberghe lets us know that the Gazet van Antwerpen is reporting that Jordan is acquiring surplus F-16 A/B fighters which underwent the MLU (mid-life upgrade). DID noted in November 2005 that Jordan had already acquired 3 two-seater F-16Bs from the Netherlands for training purposes. To date, Jordan has received a total of 35 F-16s from the US and Dutch governments (16+17+3).
The Netherlands MvD and Belgian Ministries of Defence later confirmed the sale, signing a declaration of intent (in Amman) to sell surplus F-16 MLU aircraft: official Dutch reports listed 5 single seat F-16AM and 3 dual seat F-16BM’s from the Dutch inventory (108 aircraft remaining operational), while official Belgian reports would later claim 6 Dutch aircraft and 14 Belgian Air Force F-16 MLUs (12 F-16AM, 2 F-16BM).
Updates and Events
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Sept 9/08: The Jordanians accept their first 4 Belgian F-16s in a hand-over ceremony at Kleine Brogel Air Base: 2 F-16AMs and 2 F-16BMs. The aircraft will fly out to Aviano in Italy, then on to Souda Bay in Crete before arriving in Jordan. Photos.
May 15/07: The Dutch announce that they have completed the sale of 6 of their F-16B fighters, which had been upgraded to common European MLU status.
February 2007 Belgium’s VTM TV station is reporting the sale of 14 Belgian Air Force F-16s to Jordan for EUR 70 million (currently about $90 million). The Chief of Defense’s recent interview with Trends economics magazine confirmed this price tag. All of the Pratt & Whitney F100 engines will be reset to 0 flight hours condition for the sale, and some Jordanian pilots will also receive training on the F-16s in Belgium. Belgium will also withdraw an additional 12 F-16’s from service before 2015.
Unlike their neighbors the Dutch, the Belgians have clip-on upgrades planed for their fleet, but no fighter replacement contract on the horizon.
