That jet burst into flames and was destroyed, injuring two ground personnel and damaging another two F-16s nearby. Throughout its service career, the Belgian F-16 fleet has been steadily upgraded through the stepped Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program, but the jets are now showing their age. The first example was accepted by the air force in January 1979, as the first European-assembled F-16 to be delivered to a European operator. In the meantime, the fleet has been reduced in number by the transfer of successive batches of jets to Jordan. However, the first aircraft will remain at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona for training, with the first Belgian-based example not expected to arrive home before 2025.

Source: Libya Today March 10, 2021 17:11 UTC