The training allowed pilots to repeat demanding scenarios that would be difficult and costly to conduct with operational aircraft. It also provided a faster way to refine coordination, tactics and procedures than live flying alone.
The F-35 Emulated Non-Operational Flight Program Interoperability Experience began on Aug. 21. It brought Belgian students and instructors together with U.S. instructor pilots in a shared F-35 training environment.
The course forms part of Belgium’s effort to prepare a new generation of pilots for the 312th Fighter Squadron. It extends a training process that begins at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and continues through connected simulators at RAF Lakenheath.
“I’ve been really happy with the level of training that Lakenheath has allowed us to provide to our young pilots,” said Belgian Air Force Maj. Nicolas Verbraken, the 312th Fighter Squadron’s senior national representative and an F-35A instructor pilot. “With this training, we will be able to provide high-quality pilots straight from training to the combat units back in Belgium.”
Luke Air Force Base has long served as the U.S. Air Force’s hub for training international F-35 crews. The follow-on training at Lakenheath brings recent graduates together with experienced pilots, including Belgian F-16 aviators transitioning to the F-35.
“A large benefit for the Belgians is the reintegration of their F-35 pilots: those who trained at Luke Air Force Base, graduated and then returned to Belgium and their new pilots who are just now completing training,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Justin Miller, a 312th Fighter Squadron F-35A instructor pilot. “It’s great to see them all together, learning from one another.”
During FENIX, U.S. and Belgian crews trained on complex mission sets while building familiarity with each other’s operating methods. The program is intended to improve their ability to integrate during future missions.
“That is the strength of the F-35 program. It’s the community around the aircraft,” said Belgian Air Force Lt. Col. Tanguy Five, commander of the 1st Squadron. “So many countries have the F-35, and we have the same training, we have the same simulator, so we speak the same language.”
Belgian and American pilots have trained and flown together on the F-16 for decades. FENIX carries that relationship into the F-35 era by building interoperability before the pilots join operational units.
