ANKARA, Turkey — Belgium announced today that, together with the Netherlands, it will invest €3.1 billion (approximately $3.5 billion) to acquire two modern air‑defense systems, accompanying radars and command vehicles, as growing Russian threats push Europe to bolster its ground‑based capabilities.
At a ceremony during the NATO Summit, officials from both nations signed a cooperation agreement for the multibillion‑dollar purchase of ten Kongsberg NASAM launchers, twenty Rheinmetall SkyRanger 30 systems, fourteen Thales GM200 multi‑mission radars and fifty‑four Iveco command vehicles.
“After two decades without an air‑defense system, Belgium will rebuild a robust capability through this joint procurement,” said Theo Francken, Belgium’s defense minister. “This step is vital for protecting our population and critical infrastructure.”
The statement emphasized that aligning on a shared ground‑based air‑defense architecture would deepen cooperation between Brussels and The Hague in areas such as training, maintenance, logistics and operational deployment.
“This package will strengthen interoperability among the BENELUX countries, NATO and the European Union,” the statement added. BENELUX refers to the trilateral partnership of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Francken also noted in a translated post on X that a number of Belgian firms will participate in developing launch systems, software, electronics, radar components, cybersecurity solutions and maintenance services.
While Belgium is earmarking $3.5 billion for the joint air‑defense package, the exact contribution from the Netherlands has not yet been disclosed. The Dutch Ministry of Defence said it could not reveal its investment level at the time of publication.
Belgium’s latest NASAMS acquisition follows a decision to temporarily lease a single unit, scheduled for delivery in mid‑2027, according to a local media outlet. The statement also noted that a decision on a prospective long‑range air‑defense capability is still pending, with interest expressed in the U.S. Patriot system and MBDA’s SAMP/T.
During the Summit, Belgium also endorsed several additional initiatives, notably a joint procurement of up to ten Saab GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to replace the alliance’s ageing E‑3 fleet. It further approved a letter of intent with the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom concerning cooperation on Airbus A400M transport aircraft.
In addition, together with five other European partners, Brussels launched a plan to collaborate on a NATO initiative aimed at bolstering defenses against low‑altitude aerial threats, such as Russian Shahed long‑range attack drones.
More broadly, NATO allies announced a plan to invest over $40 billion in counter‑drone capabilities over the next five years. The initiative is supported by the establishment of a “counter‑drone marketplace” designed to certify that systems are “NATO‑tested” and “NATO‑compatible,” as stated in an alliance announcement.
