BELGIAN F-16'S TO STAY IN JORDAN UNTIL 31 DECEMBER.

The Belgian F-16 detachment will stay in Jordan till the end of the year, Belgium's new center-right government under PM Charles Michel (MR) has decided last Thursday, October 24. One month ago, the Belgian Parliament gave the green light to PM Di Rupo's caretaker government's proposal to deploy the detachment over Iraq against ISIS, from a Jordanian base. At the time, a period of only one month was agreed upon, although then already it was virtually certain the planes would stay in Jordan longer. The new defence cabinet under Minister Vandeput [Pieter De Crem's successor - MFBB] communicated only the following short message: "the federal government's decision is that the mission of the F-16 detachment with six jets and 120 ground personnel will be extended till December 31'.

After the initial release of a video showing the destruction of an ISIS target, the Belgian MoD has released basically no information, except for Friday 24, when the destruction of two ISIS targets was confirmed. Earlier this week, probably on Thursday, another target was destroyed. Via HLN Online:




The article mentions that a successful attack [this was during the night of Thursday to Friday - MFBB] was conducted, "without collateral damage", but gives very few details. The MoD spokeswoman is quoted as saying that "since the arrival of the detachment in Jordan more than 25 mission have been flown" and "five targets have been destroyed with great precision".

Some snapshots of our jets in Jordan (photos via Belgian MoD):











Well-spent tax euros for a change.



MFBB.