Post by SABCA

Today marks an important milestone for the Belgian aerospace industry. The BeLightning consortium, bringing together SABCA, ASCO and Sonaca, officially inaugurated the first Belgian production line for F-35 horizontal tail planes at Sonaca’s site in Gosselies, in the presence of Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Minister of Defense Theo Francken Theo F., and regional dignitaries. At SABCA, we are proud to contribute to this effort, with advanced composites taking shape where precision and performance meet. Built on decades of expertise in civil and defense aviation, our teams produce the composite skins and substructure of these critical components. These lightweight, high-performance materials are essential to the F-35’s stealth, aerodynamic efficiency, and operational capability. From our site in Lummen, SABCA combines craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies to deliver structures that meet the most demanding standards of a global defense program. We are proud to contribute to this key project which will generate over €400 million in economic impact for Belgium and around 150 highly skilled jobs by 2035, while supporting Belgium’s strong position within the F-35 industrial ecosystem. Curious to learn more? Watch the vide to explore the full scope of BeLightning’s capabilities. #F35 #Aerospace #Composites #Defense

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