The Belgian government announced Thursday that it would replace a fleet of ageing F-16 jets with the F-35 made by Lockheed Martin, rejecting rival offers to buy Eurofighter Typhoons or Rafales from the French group Dassault.

"The decision was linked to a Belgian procedure and the country's political constraints, but strategically it goes against European interests," Macron told journalists during a visit to Bratislava.

"Europe won't be strong unless it is truly sovereign and knows how to protect itself," he said, citing a need to develop "a genuine European defence capacity".

"I will do everything possible to promote European offers in future contracts," Macron added.

Critics said the choice of Lockheed would leave Belgium dependent on maintenance and operational systems firmly in US control, while also dealing a blow to Europe's efforts to unify its defence capacities.

Belgium justified the decision by saying the F-35s offered better value for money while best allowing it to meet its NATO commitments.

Prime Minister Charles Michel said his country would be purchasing equipment from both US and European suppliers as it bolsters defence spending.

On Friday, the French defence ministry announced that Belgium had confirmed an order for 442 Griffon and Jaguar armoured vehicles for around 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion).

The deal had been expected, but the announcement appeared timed to allay tensions between the two NATO allies.

- 'Lost opportunity' -

Last year the European Union launched its "permanent structured cooperation on defence", or PESCO, aimed at unifying defence strategies across the bloc and rationalising a fragmented approach to buying and developing military equipment.

The EU itself is planning to vastly expand its defence budget starting in 2021, allocating some 13 billion euros over seven years to research and develop new equipment -- up from less than 600 million euros in the current budget.

Most countries see no problem allowing non-EU firms to compete for contracts under PESCO, but France is leading a handful which want to restrict their participation.

Washington has warned that excluding US companies could undermine NATO at a time when tensions are running high with Russia and new threats such as cyber attacks are emerging.

French jet-maker Dassault said Belgium's decision not to buy its Rafales was "a bad signal for the construction of European defence".

European aerospace consortium Airbus meanwhile expressed "sincere regret" that the country hadn't gone for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

"It is a lost opportunity to strengthen European industrial cooperation in times when the EU is called upon to increase its joint defence efforts," said Airbus, one of the partners in the Eurofighter consortium.

It added that in buying Typhoons, Belgium could have eventually joined a Franco-German project to jointly develop a new fighter jet.

Macron, speaking at the start of a two-day visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, called on people to reject leaders who seek to "divide Europe".

"I will fight wherever they are trying to roll back justice, the ability of journalists to work freely, the role of universities, all of which makes us European," he said.

Macron is hoping to counter a surge in support for populist parties and leaders in many European countries ahead of European Parliament elections next May.

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AIRBUS GROUP

LOCKHEED MARTIN

DASSAULT AVIATION