On August the 5^th 2025 the small exercise King in the Castle took place from Florennes Air Base, Belgium. The aim of the exercise was to strengthen operational ties between the participants, both in the air and on the ground. For this the French Air Force sent several jets to the Southern part of Belgium and also two F-35A's from the Royal Netherlands Air Force joined the flying operations above Belgium. A Rafale B and C from the Mont de Marsan based Escadron de Chasse 30 landed in the afternoon of August the 4^th at Florennes, followed by two more Rafale B's from the Saint Dizier based Escadron de Chasse 4 the next morning. The French also flew two Mirage 2000-5F's to Belgium of which only about twenty are still operational.

A first at Florennes was the landing of the very first F-35s. Florennes will receive their first Belgium Lightning II's as a replacement for their F-16AM's on October the 13th, but these two belonged to the Volkel based 313Sqn in The Netherlands. 

Several 1-v-1, 30 to 45 minute mission were flown this Tuesday in clean jets or with just one centreline tank with the focus on Basic Fighter Maneuver (BFM).