Belgium has announced an expansion of NATO's rapid response force. What is the country preparing for?

Belgium intends to increase its military personnel in NATO to 1,500 by 2025. The country will also deploy F-16s to Iceland and reinstate troops for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

https://unn.ua/ru/news/belgiya-obyavila-ob-uvelichenii-gruppi-voisk-bistrogo-reagirovaniya-nato-k-chemu-gotovitsya-strana2024-12-14 09:17:26

The Belgian Minister of Defense, Ludivine Dedonder, announced that her country will increase the number of military personnel on standby for NATO in 2025. This information was reported by The Brussels Times, as conveyed by UNN.

Details

The number of Belgian soldiers ready for the Alliance will increase threefold or even fourfold.

According to Ludivine Dedonder, nearly 1,500 military personnel will be stationed in Belgium by 2025. They will be prepared for deployment within weeks or even days if NATO requires. Additionally, between 650 and 1,400 soldiers will be deployed abroad, depending on the season. This represents a 20% increase compared to last year.

A contingent of 300 soldiers as part of a multinational NATO tactical group for the protection of the Alliance's eastern flank will rotate in Romania, and four Belgian F-16s that conducted air defense missions in Lithuania in 2024 will be relocated to Iceland next year to "strengthen Belgium's presence in Northern Europe."

The Minister of Defense stated that Belgium will rejoin the International Peacekeeping Forces in Kosovo in 2025.

The four Belgian F-16s that performed air defense missions in Lithuania in 2024 will be stationed in Iceland next year to "consolidate Belgium's presence in Northern Europe," the minister added.

Reminder

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned about Russia's intentions to destroy Ukraine and initiate a prolonged confrontation with Europe. He urged an increase in defense spending and preparation for potential drone attacks.