Air Component
The Belgian Air Component is the Air force of Belgium. The history of the Belgian Air Force began in 1910 when the Minister of War, General HELLEBOUT, decided after his first flight to acquire aeroplanes. On 5 May 1911 a Farman type 1910 was delivered, followed by a second on 24 May and two other in August of the same year. The Air Component Commander is Major-General Aviator Claude VAN DE VOORDE.
Its current aircraft are:
Fighter Aircraft:
- F-16 Fighting Falcon
Trainer Aircraft:
- Aermacchi SF.260
- / Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (based in France)
Helicopters:
- Aerospatiale Alouette III
- Agusta A109
- NHI NH90 (on order, replacing the Sea King and Alouette III)
- Westland Sea King
Transport Aircraft:
- Airbus A330
- Airbus A400M (on order, replacing the C-130)
- Dassault Falcon 20
- Dassault Falcon 900
- Embraer ERJ 135
- Embraer ERJ 145
- C-130 Hercules
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles:
- RQ-5 Hunter
Read more about this topic: Belgian Army
Famous quotes containing the words air and/or component:
“Speak the speech ... trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it ... I had as lief the town crier had spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say the whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“... no one knows anything about a strike until he has seen it break down into its component parts of human beings.”
—Mary Heaton Vorse (1874–1966)