Florennes Air Base (Base Jean Offenberg)

Florennes Air Base, also known as Base Jean Offenberg, is a Belgian Air Force installation located four kilometers east-southeast of Florennes in Wallonia, Belgium. The facility complies with STANAG 3712 category 8, and operates under category 5 standards during quick reaction alert operations.

During World War II, the Luftwaffe operated from Florennes following the German occupation of Belgium in May 1940. German units flew Junkers Ju 88 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighters, along with Focke-Wulf Fw 190 day fighters from the airfield. Allied forces recaptured the site in September 1944, redesignating it Advanced Landing Ground A-78. The airfield subsequently hosted the United States Air Force 430th Fighter Squadron operating Lockheed P-38 Lightnings for ground attack missions, and the United States Army Air Forces 422nd Night Fighter Squadron flying Northrop P-61 Black Widows.

From 1984 to 1990, Florennes housed the United States Air Force 485th Tactical Missile Wing, which deployed the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile system. The missiles were withdrawn in 1989 under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Between March 1989 and July 2009, the base hosted the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP). This joint NATO initiative developed allied doctrine documentation, conducted academic studies, and facilitated multilateral flying courses before relocating to Albacete, Spain.

The base currently hosts the Belgian Air Force 2nd Tactical Wing and houses four military squadrons, alongside the Belgian Defence Aeroclub ASBL. 1 Squadron, originally formed in 1917, and 350 Squadron, established in 1942, both operate General Dynamics F-16 aircraft. 1 Squadron is additionally designated as the first Belgian unit to operate F-35A Lightning II aircraft. 2 Squadron, reactivated in 2023, operates MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial systems. 10 Squadron, reactivated in January 2025, functions as the F-35 Operations Support Squadron.