Belgium’s Military to Increase Significantly in 2025
Belgium plans to greatly increase its military readiness for NATO operations. By 2025, the country will have enough troops ready for action to potentially triple or quadruple from the current number of 500.
This is part of a bigger trend among European countries to strengthen their defense spending and military readiness. Russia’s growing threats are seen as the main reason for this change. Germany has warned that Russia could be able to attack NATO countries by the end of 2030, citing an increase in Russian espionage and aggressive actions.
Belgium’s Defense Minister, Ludivine Dedonder, recently spoke about these plans. She said that Belgium wants to be ready to quickly send troops to help other countries if needed. In 2025, Belgium will have nearly 1,500 soldiers ready for rapid deployment within weeks or days.
The country will also increase its troop deployments abroad in 2025. This includes:
* Sending 300 soldiers to Romania to protect NATO’s eastern flank
* Returning to Kosovo with new equipment and a new type of drone to help with reconnaissance
* Stationing four F-16 aircraft in Iceland to strengthen Belgium’s presence in Northern Europe
Belgium has been supporting Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The country has sent aid packages and trained nearly 3,300 Ukrainian soldiers since late 2022. More training missions are planned for the coming year.
Despite these efforts, Belgium still spends less on defense than many other NATO countries. It currently invests about 1.2% of its GDP on defense, which is short of the alliance’s target of 2%.
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