The Belgian Air Force received a new batch of three Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets at Florennes Air Base on September 18, 2026, advancing the nation’s transition to fifth-generation aircraft and keeping its planned transfer of retired F-16s to Ukraine on schedule.

According to reporting by The Aviationist, the transatlantic delivery flight originated at Lockheed Martin Corporation’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 15, 2026. The aircraft, bearing tail numbers FL-013, FL-015, and FL-016, completed a multi-day journey that included a stopover at Lajes Field in the Azores before arriving in Belgium.

Transatlantic crossing and logistical support

The delivery flight was a joint movement involving six F-35A aircraft, comprising three destined for Belgium and three for the Finnish Air Force. Two United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers provided aerial refueling support for the crossing.

While the three Belgian jets successfully completed the final leg from Portugal to Florennes Air Base, The Aviationist reported that one of the accompanying Finnish F-35As remained grounded in the Azores due to an unspecified technical issue.

Fleet modernization and Ukrainian F-16 transfers

Belgium has ordered a total of 34 F-35A fighter jets to replace its aging fleet of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons. The first batch of three F-35As arrived at Florennes Air Base on October 13, 2025, marking the official start of the type’s operations in the country.

The pace of these fifth-generation deliveries directly impacts European military aid to Ukraine. Militarnyi notes that the arrival of new F-35As dictates the timeline for Belgium to transfer its retired F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force. Belgium plans to transfer seven F-16s to Ukraine by the end of 2026.

European shared fleet integration

The Belgian Air Force is actively integrating its growing F-35 fleet into broader European defense structures. On September 17, 2026, Belgian aircraft participated in a six-nation mission over Norway under the “Capacity on Call” agreement.

This initiative allows partner nations, including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, to share fleet capabilities. The model supports cross-servicing by allied technicians and the use of shared munitions, optimizing operational readiness across European F-35 operators.

AirPro News analysis

We view the synchronized delivery of Belgian and Finnish F-35As as a demonstration of the growing standardization of European air power. As more NATO nations transition to the Lockheed Martin platform, joint transatlantic ferry flights and shared logistical support will likely become standard practice. The direct link between F-35 deliveries and F-16 transfers highlights how production and deliveries schedules at Lockheed Martin’s Texas facility now have immediate downstream effects on the tactical capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Sources: Belgian Ministry of Defence

Dassault Aviation has successfully flight-tested two sovereign AI algorithms on the Dassault Rafale fighter jet, advancing the integration of supervised cockpit assistants intended for the upcoming Rafale F5 standard.

In a press release issued on September 22, 2026, from its headquarters in Saint-Cloud, France, the manufacturer announced that the algorithms have reached a maturity level suitable for future aircraft upgrades. One algorithm was developed internally by Dassault Aviation engineers, while the second was co-developed with Thales through its cortAIx artificial intelligence division.

Cockpit automation and pilot workload

The newly tested algorithms are designed to act as controlled and supervised assistants in the cockpit. By handling repetitive tasks, the systems aim to reduce pilot workload during high-intensity operations.

This reduction in manual task management allows human crews to focus on complex combat missions and tactical decision-making. The company stated that the development of these functions is part of a broader initiative to integrate AI into the cockpit, “serving the human crew.”

Integrating these systems into a combat aircraft presents specific engineering hurdles. Dassault Aviation outlined the technical requirements in its announcement:

“This capability requires mastering several key challenges specific to military aviation: ensuring the availability and quality of operational data (real or simulated), leveraging and synergizing domain expertise, and optimizing resource efficiency on an embedded platform subject to stringent constraints.”

The Rafale F5 standard and sovereign defense

The successful flight tests pave the way for the Rafale F5 upgrade, which is targeted for rollout in the 2030s. On September 11, 2026, France awarded contracts to secure the industrial foundation for this new standard.

The Rafale F5 will heavily feature crew assistance, predictive maintenance, and collaborative combat capabilities. These systems will integrate the fighter with unmanned combat aerial systems (UCAS) and other networked assets on the battlefield.

The emphasis on sovereign AI aligns with France’s defense autonomy goals, ensuring critical combat technology remains independent of foreign control. Dassault Aviation has also recently partnered with Harmattan AI to develop embedded AI and electronic-warfare capabilities. This partnership has included collaborative flight-tested demonstrations involving the Dassault Rafale and unmanned aircraft.

AirPro News analysis

We view the emphasis on sovereign AI as a critical differentiator in the European combat aircraft market. By keeping the development of these algorithms strictly within French industrial partners like Thales and Harmattan AI, Dassault Aviation is positioning the Rafale F5 as a fully autonomous platform free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or other foreign export controls. This independence is a major selling point for export customers seeking advanced collaborative combat capabilities without third-party veto power over their deployment or operational data.

Sources: Dassault Aviation

On September 22, 2026, Vaughan, Ontario-based Volatus Aerospace Inc. announced the successful initial flight testing of its V-Cortex AI Flight Controller, demonstrating the ability of an uncrewed aircraft system to navigate in a GPS-denied environment using only onboard default sensors.

According to a company press release, the milestone validates the platform’s resilient autonomy capabilities for operations where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are degraded, intentionally disrupted, or unavailable. The V-Cortex system functions as a platform-agnostic autonomy layer designed for integration across multiple Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), eliminating the need for operators to develop separate autonomy architectures for different airframes.

Advancing sovereign autonomy capabilities

The recent Test-Flights transition the V-Cortex platform from the development phase to demonstrated performance. Volatus Aerospace initially introduced the system as a sovereign Canadian autonomy platform during the CANSEC defence exhibition earlier in 2026. The system is engineered to support operations in contested military environments, dense urban areas, and remote regions such as the Canadian Arctic.

The flight controller achieved navigation without relying on external sensors or high-performance computing, utilizing only the default sensor suite integrated into the aircraft.

“Successfully navigating without GPS or external sensors is a major technical milestone that validates our approach to resilient autonomy,” stated Glen Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Volatus Aerospace. “It brings us one step closer to delivering a Canadian-developed solution for defence, public safety, and critical infrastructure operators.”

Expanding defence and regulatory footprint

The V-Cortex flight milestone follows a series of recent defence and regulatory advancements for Volatus Aerospace. On September 21, 2026, the company was selected as a pre-qualified supplier under the Government of Canada’s Defence Drone Initiative (DDI) Marketplace. This qualification establishes a formal pathway for the Manufacturers to compete for upcoming uncrewed and autonomous systems Contracts supporting the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Prior to the DDI qualification, Volatus Aerospace secured a five-year Canadian defence contract on September 10, 2026, to provide Low-Cost Tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Uncrewed Aircraft Systems. The agreement includes an initial order of 100 systems, with the potential to scale up to 5,000 units over the life of the contract.

The company is also advancing its commercial cargo operations. During its second-quarter earnings call on September 18, 2026, Volatus highlighted regulatory progress for its Canary remotely piloted aircraft system. The Canary utilizes an onboard detect-and-avoid system independent of ground-based radar, a technology currently deployed for cargo deliveries at Edmonton International Airport (YEG).

AirPro News analysis

The successful demonstration of GNSS-denied navigation positions Volatus Aerospace to capitalize on growing military demand for resilient uncrewed systems. As electronic warfare and GPS spoofing become standard tactics in modern conflicts, defence operators require platforms capable of maintaining autonomous flight when satellite navigation is compromised. By developing a platform-agnostic autonomy layer, we assess that Volatus is creating a scalable product that could be licensed or integrated into third-party airframes, diversifying its revenue streams beyond proprietary hardware sales. The rapid succession of the tactical ISR contract, the DDI Marketplace qualification, and the V-Cortex flight milestone indicates a coordinated push to solidify the company’s standing as a primary supplier for Canadian defence and public safety agencies.

Sources: Volatus Aerospace Inc.