The Belgian Defense Forces are investing heavily in military modernization and expansion. This includes the purchase of 34 F-35A fighter aircraft to replace the old F-16s. These state-of-the-art jets will be evenly distributed between the two airbases in Florennes and Kleine-Brogel. However, the current defense infrastructure dates from the 1950s and 1960s, and is therefore not adapted to modern standards for management, maintenance, and security. The existing military buildings also fall short in terms of sustainable infrastructure, making modernization essential.
To address these challenges, a new complex is being built at each base. Each will consist of four major components:
- an administrative building with offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, auditoria, changing rooms with showers, a cafeteria, and coffee corners;
- a logistics section for aircraft maintenance, workshops, and spare parts storage;
- a high-security facility for operations planning and training, which will also house four flight simulators;
- and the “flight line,” where the aircraft will be stationed.
“The buildings have to meet a lot of international requirements,” says Rein Verrelst, project engineer and sustainability consultant at Arcadis. “On the one hand, there are all kinds of technical and functional requirements from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35As. On the other hand, both our legislation and the Defense Forces impose strict sustainability standards for the aviation infrastructure. Special attention is also being paid to the well-being and comfort of the staff.”
The geothermal installation in Kleine-Brogel will be the largest in Flanders. “We faced a significant challenge, which called for an innovative approach,” says Bert Lemmens. “All these large spaces must operate without fossil fuel heating, even though many industrial applications still rely on fossil fuels. We want to make them more sustainable to prepare for the future.”
One example is the paint installation process used to restore a layer of paint on an aircraft after minor damage from debris. Traditionally, the oven used for this process reached drying temperatures of up to 200 degrees through gas combustion. In the new defense infrastructure, infrared technology has been chosen instead. Electrically controlled, it is both efficient and environmentally friendly.
Renewable sources will provide 20 percent of total energy consumption, making the new military buildings in Kleine-Brogel and Florennes among the most sustainable infrastructure developments in Belgium. These cutting-edge aviation infrastructure facilities reflect Belgium’s commitment to military modernization and sustainability, setting a new benchmark for future defense projects.
The buildings have to meet a lot of international requirements. On the one hand, there are all kinds of technical and functional requirements originating from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35As. On the other hand, both our legislation and Defence impose a lot of standards that relate to the sustainability of the infrastructure. Special attention is also being paid to the well-being and comfort of the staff.
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