This Thursday, March 20, the handover ceremony for the Chief of the Air Component (ACC) took place at the Florennes base. Major General Thierry Dupont, 59, handed over his command to General Geert De Decker, 57.
This inauguration was marked by a strong presence of foreign officials and delegations. Among them, the German, Dutch, and Swiss ACCs were present. In these complicated and uncertain times, the intention was to demonstrate the closing of ranks.
This ceremony, overseen by the Chief of Defence, General Frederik Vansina, not only symbolises a new chapter for the Belgian Air Component, but also reflects its commitment to excellence, innovation, and preparedness for ever-changing challenges.
Major General Thierry Dupont: « I began my career as a fighter pilot on the Mirage V, and the Berlin Wall had just fallen; a whiff of the Cold War still lingered in our airbases. We were still very wary. After a stint on the F-16, I became a test pilot at Istres and then left for Edwards Air Force Base in California to work on the development of the F-16 MLU. The scent of the Cold War had evaporated, but very quickly, the scent of brotherhood among all nations was replaced by the acrid odor of dust from the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which had just fallen on September 11, 2001. A new era marked by the war on terror was dawning. We had become an expeditionary force. We had to adapt to this asymmetric warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya. We also had to adapt to the reduction in defence budgets. I know this Florennes base well and have witnessed this constant evolution. I have seen the threats on the eastern flank, and it was with relief that I saw the government agree to the purchase of the F-35. The only aircraft capable of countering the new threat and the new imperialist rhetoric. It is no longer a question of fighting the Taliban like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit, but rather of ensuring that the lion can deter the bear.
Becoming an ACC in 2020 in the midst of Covid, I was therefore not surprised by this February 24, 2022. It is undoubtedly my most vivid memory. After hibernating for all these years, since the scents of optimism that had lulled us in the last decade of the last century, the bear was showing signs of awakening. We must maintain a large dose of realism and take the world as it is, not as we would like it to be. I was fortunate to participate in this geopolitical revolution, even though I only aspired to be a simple pilot. I helped put the Air Force on the path to transformation. As proof, I cite this base, the current centre of gravity of this transformation. You can see the buildings of the new MQ-9B and F-35. In terms of equipment, the C-130s have been replaced by A400Ms, and we are awaiting the H145M helicopters. We have also developed a satellite capability that strengthens Belgium in this strategic area.
I was surrounded by the best, and I would like to thank the 5,000 soldiers of the Air Force.»
During a final review of the troops from the main Air Component bases by Major General Dupont, a flypast took place in the skies over Florennes. The programme included F-16s, two F-35s from the Netherlands, helicopters led by a German H145M, four Marchettis, and finally an A400M followed by an A330 MRTT.
Major General Geert De Decker thus takes up the torch in these complicated geopolitical times marked by numerous challenges. Major General De Decker graduated as a Polytechnical Engineer from the Royal Military Academy in 1990. He underwent his F-16 conversion in 1993 and was assigned to the 31 Sqn at Kleine-Brogel. He participated in numerous operations such as Joint Falcon (formerly Yugoslavia) and Joint Endeavour (Kosovo). In 2001, he graduated as an Experimental Test Pilot from the prestigious USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. In 2005, he led the second deployment of F-16s to Afghanistan. He then held various positions within the NATO structure and as a “Red Card Holder” during various external operations. From 2015 to 2018, he took command of the Kleine-Brogel base. He then returned to the General Staff to serve as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Readiness & Operations. He has accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours on 35 different aircraft types.
