U.S. Approves Air-to-Air Missile Sale to Belgium and the Netherlands

The U.S. Department of State approves the sale of AIM-9X Block II within-visual-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles with related equipment to Belgium and the Netherlands. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the total value of the approved sales is $1.14 billion. The packages, approved under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, now heads to Congress for final review.

According to the DSCA statement, the possible sale to Belgium, valued at $567.8 million, includes 320 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder, 258 AIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder tactical missiles, 50 AIM-9X Block II tactical guidance units, and 30 AIM-9X Block II+ tactical guidance units. The missiles are planned for use by Belgium’s F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft fleet.

The possible Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands includes 232 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, 8 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance sections, and AIM-120C-8 Captive Air Training Missiles. The estimated total cost of the sale is $570 million.

Spare parts, training, maintenance, and logistics support are also included in the packages.

U.S. officials state that the proposed sales improve the security of two key NATO member countries in Europe, increase their ability to counter current and future threats, and strengthen their capability to defend sovereign airspace. The DSCA emphasizes that the sale “does not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

According to the statement, the possible sales enhance the effectiveness of NATO defense missions, and ensure that both countries have modern and capable air-to-air munitions, increasing their ability to respond to current and future threats. The DSCA notes that both countries already have these munitions in their inventories and will not face challenges in integrating the new systems.