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The Belgian Defence F-16 replacement program

Colonel Harold VAN PEE,
Former Director F-16 replacement program, Belgian Defence

Having served with the Belgian Air Force for 4 decades already with 10 more years to go, the F-16 combat aircraft will see itself replaced by the middle of the next decade. The F-35 Lightning II came out on top in a fiercely fought competition, initiated in 2014 and awarded in October 2018.

The presentation will guide you through the requirements and the defining moments of this competition which, with its 4 billion euros investment cost, was one the biggest individual competitive tenders ever undertaken by the Belgian government.

Throughout the presentation, you will discover that the F-35 weapon system and its vast operational capabilities will bring more than just a one-for-one replacement of the F-16 weapon system. This will have a profound impact on how the Belgian Air Force and by extension, the whole of Belgian Defence will operate.

Info Speaker

Col Harry Van Pee graduated in 1989 with a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Sciences (Royal Military Academy, Brussels). As an operational fighter pilot at Beauvechain and later on at Kleine Brogel Air Base, he specialized mainly as Weapons & Tactics training officer. In between tours as 349 Squadron’s operations officer and then commanding officer, he was the Air Staff responsible for the operational oversight of the F-16 Mid-Life Update (MLU) program.

Throughout his stay at the Air and Joint Staff he was a member and often the chair of countless workgroups and committees at NATO, the EU (and EUMS, WEAG), the EDA, the European Air Group etc. While at NATO HQ, he was working at the Belgian Permanent Delegation as the National Armaments Director representative and as the Belgian member of the Nuclear Planning Group permanent staff. Other international tours included a couple of years as Division Head Combat Operations at the NATO Combined Air Operations Center in Germany, and half a year at the NATO Defence College in Rome.

In his flying career and as a Staff officer, Col Van Pee participated to numerous national and multinational exercises and operational deployments on four continents. He was NATO’s first Baltic QRA Force Commander at Siauliai Airbase in March 2004. His operational experience includes tours at the ISAF HQ (2005) and ISAF Joint Command (2010-2011, 2012) in Afghanistan.

Practical Info

Op donderdag 20 februari 2020 om 20.00 uur brengt Kolonel Harry Van Pee in het Auditorium van het von Karman Instituut een lezing over de vervanging van de F-16 bij de Belgische Defensie.

De voordracht wordt in het Engels gegeven.
De voordracht is gratis.
Inschrijven via het inschrijvingsformulier is verplicht.(rode knop rechtsboven)

De algemene wegbeschrijving naar het VKI is te vinden op de VKI website
https://www.vki.ac.be/index.php/events-ls/how-to-reach-us

Contact & info

Dirk De Wilde
Projectcoördinator
ie-net ingenieursvereniging vzw
20/02/2020 Van: 20u00 tot 22u00
Von Karman Instituut Waterloosesteenweg 72 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode