Belgium and the Netherlands to jointly acquire new air defence systems
Belgium is set to sign an agreement with the Netherlands for the two countries to purchase new air defence systems together. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Defence minister Theo Francken (N-VA) upon his arrival at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where defence ministers of allied nations are meeting.
The purchase is part of Belgium’s new Strategic Defence Vision, which was presented earlier this year and foresees the creation of a multi-layered air defence network. The deal will involve the acquisition of nine NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems) for Belgium and one for Luxembourg, all of which are produced by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in Norway.
Francken also revealed that discussions are underway to equip Belgian military bases with systems to detect and neutralise drones, with a proposal expected to be submitted to the government within two weeks. He said that the goal is to have the new systems operational by March 2026.
Ongoing investigaton
The announcement follows a series of drone incursions in early October, when both the Belgian and German police reported unidentified drones flying over the Elsenborn military training ground in the Eastern Cantons. “The investigation into the origin of these drones is still ongoing,” said Francken.
Belgium has also offered to contribute air assets to NATO’s newly launched 'Eastern Sentry' operation, which was established in September following the violation of allied airspace by Russian drones. This contribution is expected to be discussed during the current ministerial meeting in Brussels, alongside a session of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which coordinates Western military support for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Germany has confirmed that it will deploy Eurofighter jets to Poland's Malbork airbase to reinforce NATO's eastern flank. "We will contribute to the protection of the eastern border with patrol flights," said German Defence minister Boris Pistorius, adding that this complements ongoing Eurofighter deployments in Romania. "If President Putin tests our borders in Poland, Estonia or elsewhere, we will respond swiftly and decisively."
© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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