- Yes
- No
- In the French BeNeLux sub-tree
- In a future Dutch/BeNeLux techtree.
- I said “No” in the first question.
- Other (Please explain in the comments).
TL;DR: Belgian modernized Alpha jet variant with less bombs, but with Laser guided rockets and a modernised cockpit
History
History
In the early 1970s, the Belgian Air Force set out to replace its aging fleet of Fouga Magisters and Lockheed T‑33s with a modern, versatile jet trainer that could also handle light attack missions. In September 1973, Belgium ordered 33 Alpha Jet 1Bs, a new twin-engine design jointly developed by Dassault and Dornier. Belgian aircraft were assembled locally by SABCA in Gosselies, with the first deliveries arriving in late 1978. By 1980, the Alpha Jet had fully taken over the advanced training role, quickly becoming a symbol of Belgian fast-jet pilot formation.
Belgian Alpha Jet 1B models in the 1980s.As the years passed, however, the original analog avionics and older systems began to show their age. By 2000, Belgium launched a modernization program to upgrade its fleet to the so-called “1B+” standard. The first updated aircraft produced by SABCA returned to service in 2000, and by 2005 the entire fleet had been transformed.
Avionics & Systems Upgrades
The 1B+ configuration significantly enhanced the cockpit and avionics, introducing:
- A modern wide-angle Head-Up Display (HUD) for the front cockpit, plus a repeater screen for the instructor in the rear seat.
- A hybrid INS/GPS navigation system, providing precise navigation capabilities.
- New HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) controls and an Up-Front Control Panel (UFCP), allowing pilots to manage systems without taking hands off flight controls.
- Multifunction displays (MFDs) for both cockpits, enabling advanced mission data visualization and STANAG 3733 compatibility.
- An upgraded mission computer with digital video debriefing capability.
- Improved radio, navigation, and ILS landing systems (all optional parts in the picture below were installed on Belgian SABCA-modified 1B+ variants).
- Integration with FZ rocket system with MFD and HUD with the FZ800 data-linked pods.
SABCA poster in 2000 for the Alpha Jet B+ / + modification.
The front cockpit of the B+ model, note the modernised HUD, the most obvious place to notice the upgrade is the Smart HUD. Leg restraints are hanging from the artificial horizon cover. The back up artificial horizon is covered by the stick in this view.
The rearseat MFDStarting in late 2004, Belgian Alpha Jets began moving to Cazaux Air Base in southwestern France to become part of the Franco-Belgian Advanced Jet Training School (AJeTS). By mid-2005, Belgium’s 11 Squadron was officially operating from Cazaux alongside its French counterparts. In this binational training program, Belgian and French student pilots trained together, benefiting from advanced facilities and a shared focus on lead-in fighter training (LIFT). The joint operations under Escadron de Chasse 2/8 “Nice” marked a major step forward in European military aviation cooperation.
Pictures of AT-30 with markings celebrating the start of the Franco-Belgian Advanced Jet Training SchoolAfter nearly four decades of service, the end of the Alpha Jet era slowly approached. The AJeTS school officially closed in October 2018, and Belgian Alpha Jets began winding down active flight operations shortly afterward. On January 13, 2020, the last three aircraft made their final flight from Cazaux back to Beauvechain Air Base, where they were greeted with an emotional water salute by the base’s fire brigade. This moment symbolized not only the retirement of the aircraft but also the closing of an important chapter in Belgian aviation history.
Despite their retirement, many of the airframes were given a second life. Several were sold to private adversary air training companies abroad, where they continue to support pilot training as aggressor jets, carrying forward their legacy beyond Belgian skies.
Specifications
Crew: 2
Length: 13.23 m
Wingspan: 9.11 m
Height: 4.19 m
Takeoff weight: 8,500 kg
Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac 04-C6 turbofans (13.24 kN each, 26.48 kN total)
Maximum straight line speed: ~1,000 km/h at low level
Service ceiling: 14,630 m
Armament
| Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet B+ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loadouts | |||||||
| Pylons | Outer wing left (5) | Inner wing left (4) | Fuselage (3) | Inner wing right (2) | Outer wing right (1) | ||
| cannon-pod (150 rounds) | 30 mm DEFA 553 | ||||||
| HDGP bomb | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye High Drag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye High Drag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye High Drag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye High Drag | |||
| LDGP bomb | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye LowDrag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye LowDrag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye LowDrag | Mk.82 500lb Snake-eye LowDrag | |||
| SAMP bomb | 250 kg retarded bomb (frangée) | 250 kg retarded bomb (frangée) | 250 kg retarded bomb (frangée) | 250 kg retarded bomb (frangée) | |||
| Cluser Anti-armour bomb | BL 755 600 lb | BL 755 600 lb | |||||
| Napalm | BLU-1CB 750 lb | BLU-1CB 750 lb | |||||
| Rockets | LAU32 MOD.5 (7x FFAR or 7x WA) | LAU32 MOD.5 (7x FFAR or 7x WA) | LAU32 MOD.5 (7x FFAR or 7x WA) | LAU32 MOD.5 (7x FFAR or 7x WA) | |||
| Rockets | LAU51 MOD.5 (19x FFAR or 19x WA) | LAU51 MOD.5 (19x FFAR or 19x WA) | LAU51 MOD.5 (19x FFAR or 19x WA) | LAU51 MOD.5 (19x FFAR or 19x WA) | |||
| Semi-Active Laser Guided Rocket | FZ800 (7x FZ275) | FZ800 (7x FZ275) | FZ800 (7x FZ275) | FZ800 (7x FZ275) | |||
| Training pod with rockets and practice bombs | SUU-20A (4x FFAR and 4x BDU-33 or 4x Mk 106) | SUU-20A (4x FFAR and 4x BDU-33 or 4x Mk 106) | |||||
| External fuel tank RP 220 | External fuel tank RP 220 | External fuel tank RP 220 | External fuel tankRP 220 |
N.B.: The 1B+ modernisation also made it possible for AGM-65B/D and AIM9L to be used on the inner and outer hardpoints, but these were never trialed or tested and were instead used on the F-16A(M). Sources on these possibilities are also sparce, so would regardless be not applicable.
Place in War Thunder
The Belgian Alpha Jet 1B+ would offer an agile, highly maneuverable light attack aircraft with a wide variety of ground ordnance, a mix of different NATO munitions and domestic Belgian-made rockets. Although it is very similar to the Alpha jet E, it could be an integral part of a separate BeNeLux tech tree or serve as a niche BeNeLux subtree aircraft.
Pictures
Sources
Sources
- HMH-Publications DH-018 Dassault / Dornier Alpha Jet - Aircraft in Detail 018 ISBN 978-2-931083-08-6
- The Alpha Jet in service with the Belgian Air Force. (n.d.). The Alpha Jet in service with the Belgian Air Force
- Global, F. (2019, December 6). Belgium updates Alpha Jet fleet. Flight Global. Belgium updates Alpha Jet fleet | News | Flight Global
- Laatste Alpha Jet-trainingsvliegtuigen van Defensie landen in Bevekom. (2020, January 14). Nieuwsblad. https://www.nieuwsblad.be/binnenland/laatste-alpha-jet-trainingsvliegtuigen-van-defensie-landen-in-bevekom/57726703.html
- L’Adieu aux Alpha Jet | Les Cahiers de l’Actualité. (n.d.). L’Adieu aux Alpha Jet | Les Cahiers de l'Actualité
- Courtial, V. T. L. a. P. M. (2021, October 12). Les Alpha-Jet de la Défense vendus à la société canadienne Top Aces. À L’Avant-Garde. Les Alpha-Jet de la Défense vendus à la société canadienne Top Aces – À l'Avant-Garde
- Serge Nemry (1st issue 2020), Good bye Alpha Jet - De Alpha jet neemt afscheid van de Luchtmacht / L’Alpha Jet fait ses adieux à la Force Aérienne. ( www.bafassociation.be) WINGS nr°18.
- Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rockets 70mm (2.75”) : FZ800 (7-tube) digital aluminium rocket launcher or pod 70mm for aircraft. (n.d.). Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rockets 70mm (2.75”) : FZ800 (7-tube) digital aluminium rocket launcher or pod 70mm for aircraft
- Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rocket system 70mm (2.75”) : Rocket launcher : 7, 1é or 19 tbe. (n.d.). Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rocket system 70mm (2.75”) : Rocket launcher : 7, 1é or 19 tbe
- Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rockets 70mm (2.75”) : Laser guided rocket FZ275 LGR. (n.d.). Thales Belgium (BL VTS) – Rockets 70mm (2.75”) : Laser guided rocket FZ275 LGR
- Operational loadout diagrams (including BL 755, MK82 Snakeye, and rocket pods)
- SAL-Laser Guided Rocket FZ275 LGR (Thales) 02-2021 https://fz.be/upload/files/FZ%20brochure/SAL-Laser%20Guided%20Rocket%20FZ275%20LGR%20(Thales)%2002-2021(1).pdf
- VTB magazine (oct-nov-dec 2014), 35 years Alpha jet, N° 4-2014 (https://www2.vieillestiges.be)
- Belgian-French jet training connection. (n.d.). Key Military. Belgian-French jet training connection
