Belgium to buy 11 more F-35s and boost defence budget to 18 Billion EUR
Belgium is entering a new phase in its defence policy, with major investment plans, international cooperation and strategic realignment both at the federal and regional levels. The Council of Ministers is set to decide Friday on the updated strategic vision for defence, including the purchase of eleven additional F-35 fighter jets.
Defence minister Theo Francken (N-VA) told the Chamber on Wednesday that the decision would be finalised at the ministerial level. “The Council of Ministers has to tranche that on Friday,” he said. The purchase represents an additional investment of 1 to 1.5 billion EUR. The decision comes after the core cabinet reached an agreement last week on the broader strategic vision covering the period through 2034, ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.
Major defence budget increase
The defence budget is expected to rise significantly from 10.8 billion to 18.2 billion EUR, totalling 139 billion EUR over the coming years. “Everything we did during the Cold War will return, and even more,” said General Harold Van Pee. By 2035, the armed forces are expected to grow to 34,500 soldiers, 8,500 civilians, and 12,800 reservists. 50 billion EUR will be allocated for personnel, which Francken said would be enough to cover both the increase and the military's social status. “Discussions have been going on with the unions about this for a long time, but there is no agreement yet,” he acknowledged.
Significant funding will also go toward air defence, including Pioruns, Nasams, and potentially 20 Skyrangers (mobile short-range systems produced in Germany). Francken said Belgium’s limited military cooperation with Germany could change, "because it is becoming a leading force."
He also confirmed an agreement for a long-awaited new medical hub. After visiting the site in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Francken said the current situation is “actually a disgrace” and urgently needs renewal.
On long-term NATO commitments, Francken noted that Belgium will maintain its defence expenditure at 2 per cent of GDP through 2033, rising to 2.5 per cent in 2034. However, the new NATO standard is 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, with 3.5 per cent allocated strictly to military spending.
“You can establish a political vision for the long term, but policy is always partly responding to current events,” Francken said. “I predict: a lot is going to happen in the coming years.”
Flanders role in NATO’s 1.5 per cent spending target
Parallel to federal efforts, Flanders is examining how it can contribute to NATO’s non-military defence spending target. At last month’s NATO summit, allies agreed to a 5 per cent GDP defence benchmark, divided into 3.5 per cent for strictly military expenditure and 1.5 per cent for defence- and security-related domains.
In the Flemish Parliament on Wednesday, prime minister Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) clarified that while Flanders cannot contribute to the 3.5 per cent due to defence being a federal matter, it can help meet the 1.5 per cent target. “Even if we were to make military purchases from Flanders, this cannot be included in the 3.5 per cent norm because defence remains a strictly federal matter,” he said.
He identified potential areas such as "investments in industrial defence capacity, innovation, civil preparedness, resilience against hybrid attacks, stockpiling, maintenance/expansion/strengthening of our physical and digital infrastructure and financial support for defence and security programmes."
Diependaele added that Flanders would coordinate politically with the federal level and other federal states. “Once we have insight into that, we can use a cooperation agreement to see how we can contribute further.”
Belgium hands over NATO command to Latvia
Meanwhile, Belgium concluded its six-month command of NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) during a handover ceremony in Zeebrugge on Wednesday. The command passed from Belgian frigate captain Erik Kockx to Latvia’s Janis Auce.
Under Kockx’s leadership, SNMCMG1 carried out maritime security tasks, including Operation Baltic Sentry, launched in response to damage to submarine cables between Estonia and Finland. The group also detected and neutralised historical explosives to ensure safer shipping lanes.
“Under the leadership of Commander Senior Grade Erik Kockx, the group has proven to be able to operate effectively in complex and multidimensional environments, including participation in BALTOPS 25, a large-scale multinational exercise involving more than 40 ships, 25 aircraft and over 9,000 military personnel from 16 NATO allies and partner countries,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
© PHOTO MARK COSGROVE / NEWS IMAGES / SIPA USA
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