Belgian army leadership believes that F-16 planes are in poor condition and cannot be sent to Ukraine, Lieutenant Frédéric Goetynck told De Standaard on Monday.“It’s not that we don’t want to, but when our planes are retired, they’re worn out. These planes will already have flown so many hours that their structure is simply worn out”, said Goetynck. “You can’t send planes to Ukraine that you wouldn’t use yourself”, he added.Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had already indicated in February that Brussels would not be supplying combat aircraft to Ukraine, and this was confirmed in May by Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder.While De Croo stressed the necessity of these aircraft for the national army and NATO, Dedonder said that the country could not send its F-16s to Ukraine because they were “at the end of their life cycle”, even if the US gave the green light for delivery.“Belgium has already sent automatic weapons, Lynx armoured vehicles and more than 200 Volvo trucks to Ukraine, as well as ammunition, fuel and medical equipment,” Goetynck said. In addition to the military aid, Belgium approved its latest support package for Ukraine in June, adding €24 million to the €61.5 million Belgium earmarked for aid last year.However, despite these announcements, Belgium continues to lag in terms of total military spending, in particular when measured against the NATO spending target of 2% of GDP.While Belgium has reached 1.18% of its GDP in terms of defence spending in 2022, a recent document published by NATO indicates that this figure will be 1.13% of GDP or more than €6.5 billion this year. This puts Belgium in penultimate place, behind Spain (1.26%) but ahead of Luxembourg (0.72%).At the Madrid NATO summit in July, De Croo reaffirmed his intentions to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2035, following a “realistic” path through 1.54% by 2030.(Nina Chabot | EURACTIV.com)
While many NATO member states have duly answered Ukraine's call to supply it with heavy weaponry, for other countries President Zelensky's plight has offered a stark realisation what decades of defence cuts have come to. For no country is this true more than for Belgium, which in March 2022 had to come to the painful conclusion that it had no heavy weaponry to send from its own stocks. This staggering feat is the result of years of chronic underfunding that had eroded the Belgian Army to the point it could not even pay to operate man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) any longer, leaving an entire army without any form of ground-based air defences. Although Belgium has since announced additional investments into its military, it will take years for these investments to actually have effect.Belgium's free-riding approach to the security of other NATO member states and of itself is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that in 2014 Belgian Prime Minister Di Rupo declared his country's intention to commit 2% of its GDP to defence spending by 2024, only for Prime Minister De Croo to do the same in 2022, but with the date to achieve this pushed back by eleven years to 2035. [1] Even after rising slightly in recent years, Belgium's budget remains one of the lowest in NATO, just barely cresting 1% of GDP for the first time in years in 2020 and 2021. [2] An early conclusion to the Russo-Ukrainian War, though unfortunately unlikely to occur at this point in time, would likely serve as the perfect excuse for a future Belgian government to keep the country's defence budget well below 2% of its GDP.[continua]
The Kleine-Brogel Air Base in Belgium has made a significant advancement in air security by introducing the Benelli M4 Super 90, a shotgun specifically adapted for countering unauthorized drones. The announcement was made on November 17, 2023, via the base's Facebook page, highlighting the growing importance of countering emerging aerial threats.Nine qualified instructors have begun training the base's protection teams in the handling of the Benelli M4. This initiative aims to strengthen defense capabilities against unmanned aerial systems (UAS), an increasingly concerning security challenge for military installations.The Benelli M4 Super 90, an Italian semi-automatic close-combat shotgun, is renowned for its reliability in extreme conditions, including sand, mud, and dust. Its gas-operated mechanism, combined with the option for manual operation, makes it ideal for use against drones, offering increased versatility and efficiency.[continua]
Ainda à pouco tempo se andava a fazer pouco do Exército (Português) andar a usar caçadeiras para proteger contra drones e olhem o que os belgas foram fazer:Belgian Air Force adopts Italian Benelli M4 shotgun as counter-UAS solution(27 de Novembro de 2023)Citação de: Army RecognitionThe Kleine-Brogel Air Base in Belgium has made a significant advancement in air security by introducing the Benelli M4 Super 90, a shotgun specifically adapted for countering unauthorized drones. The announcement was made on November 17, 2023, via the base's Facebook page, highlighting the growing importance of countering emerging aerial threats.Nine qualified instructors have begun training the base's protection teams in the handling of the Benelli M4. This initiative aims to strengthen defense capabilities against unmanned aerial systems (UAS), an increasingly concerning security challenge for military installations.The Benelli M4 Super 90, an Italian semi-automatic close-combat shotgun, is renowned for its reliability in extreme conditions, including sand, mud, and dust. Its gas-operated mechanism, combined with the option for manual operation, makes it ideal for use against drones, offering increased versatility and efficiency.[continua]Fonte: https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_november_2023_global_security_army_industry/belgian_air_force_adopts_italian_benelli_m4_shotgun_as_counter-uas_solution.html Cumprimentos,
In the relentless arena of modern warfare, where the thunder of battle can define nations, the U.S. Army wields a capability known as HIRAIN — the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration. A symphony of strategy and firepower, HIRAIN pushes the edge of innovation.A HIRAIN operation's value lies in its ability to facilitate the agile transportation and deployment of critical military hardware, combining the precision of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, with the mobility of the A400M aircraft for the first time. U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, joined forces with partners from Latvia, Belgium and Luxembourg to achieve this historic first A400M HIRAIN.Capt. Andrew Shaughnessy, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3-27 FAR, observed that this multinational and joint operation not only marked the first A400M HIRAIN but also constituted the first A400M HIRAIN live-fire exercise and validation of emerging HIRAIN tactics, techniques, and procedures."With numerous A400Ms in the NATO fleet and in the European Air Transport Command, this event drastically increased the number of mobility aircraft that can execute HIRAINs within NATO," Shaughnessy said.Charlie Battery transported a launcher loaded with live training ammunition and a platoon operations center vehicle from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, for the event. From Lielvarde they convoyed to the Adazi Training Area to conduct the live-fire exercise. After launching three rockets, they returned to Lielvarde and promptly flew back to Ramstein. Shaughnessy emphasized that this event built upon a previous load test and validation conducted in November 2023, which involved Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the United States.[continua]
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian has taken a crucial step towards operational service with the Belgian Air Force as the first of four ordered aircraft completed its inaugural flight, which took place on Feb. 20th. The flight originated from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.'s (GA-ASI) Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California. This event marks a crucial step in Belgium's acquisition of a fleet of four MQ-9B aircraft.The inaugural flight was part of a comprehensive series of ground and airborne tests designed to rigorously validate the performance of the Belgian MQ-9B RPA. According to GA-ASI, the primary objective of this initial sortie was to demonstrate the aircraft's controllability and ensure a safe landing, both of which were successfully achieved. The program is now poised to proceed with further developmental flight testing.Speaking on the achievement, Chris Dusseault, vice president of MQ-9B in Europe at GA-ASI, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We're excited to complete the first flight of SkyGuardian for Belgium," and highlighting the fact that "Belgium joins the U.K.'s Royal Air Force and will become the second country to take delivery of our MQ-9B in Europe".This procurement and operational progress is underpinned by a robust framework of international cooperation, most notably with the United Kingdom. On Apr. 5, 2023, Belgium and the U.K. formalized their commitment to joint efforts by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enabling close cooperation and future collaboration on their respective MQ-9B programs.As the lead customer for the MQ-9B, which will be known as the Protector RG1 in Royal Air Force (RAF) service, the U.K. has taken a proactive role in establishing the MQ-9B Cooperation MOU to facilitate collaboration among like-minded international partners who have also opted for a variant of the advanced RPA. Belgium's participation in this MoU as an initial signatory alongside the U.K. allows both nations to enter into detailed arrangements for joint work across all critical program areas, including certification and airworthiness, training, sustainment, and the development of future capability enhancements.Air Commodore Hicks, Assistant Chief of Staff Capability Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) for the U.K., underscored the strategic benefits of this collaboration, noting that it "allows us to develop synergies that optimize the interoperability and support of the SkyGuardian, by creating economies of scale for all participants in various domains such as staff training, certification and development of future capabilities".Building upon the foundation of the MoU, the U.K. and Belgium have also established the MQ-9B International Cooperative Programme (MICP). This program provides the essential processes and functionality to facilitate cooperation across the aforementioned domains. The MICP community currently includes eight nations, with Belgium and the U.K. taking the lead, supported by six additional nations acting as observers. With several other like-minded nations reportedly considering the procurement of the MQ-9B, membership in the MICP is anticipated to expand.This first flight represents a tangible step forward for Belgium in acquiring a platform that will enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. The ongoing collaboration with the U.K. through the MICP promises to ensure effective training, long-term sustainment, and the continuous development of the MQ-9B's operational potential.Major General Ivan De Tender, Belgian's Head of the Public Procurement Division, has affirmed the strong defence ties between the two nations, stating that the agreement "further cements the close relationship between the UK and Belgium and affirms our joint commitment to the strategic unity and defence of Europe and NATO".
