Belgium plans to deploy 1,000 soldiers in a joint foreign operation next year, a move attributed to improved recruitment.
Several steps have been taken to boost Belgium's military capacity, among them reforming the selection procedure to make the recruitment process easier. This followed the launch of a huge recruitment campaign.
These measures have now borne fruit as the number of Belgian soldiers involved in foreign operations, currently around 850, is expected to peak in the first half of 2024 reaching 1,000.
Aside from improved recruitment, the increase is also the result of a changing geopolitical landscape and increasing requests from NATO, Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder has stated. NATO stipulates that member nations commit to spending 2% of GDP on defence. Belgium has announced plans to gradually increase defence spending to 1.54% of GDP by 2030 – approximately €10 billion.
Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder meets military personnel at a press conference of Belgian defence to present the recruitment plans for 2024, Wednesday 06 September 2023. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
Major operations are scheduled for the first half of 2024, with further deployments spread throughout the year. The plan includes deploying an ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance & Target Acquisition) battalion of 150 soldiers to Lithuania for six months at the start of the year.
Around April, Frigate Louise Marie will be sent to the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf for about twelve weeks.
Record recruitment
The number of recruits in foreign operations will decrease to around 500 over the summer. In the coming years, it will remain at an average of 700. This is a notable increase from when threats of terrorism necessitated a high number of soldiers to carry out local patrolling in Belgium itself in 2016 and 2017.
However, the number of soldiers on a mission may fluctuate during the year, Dedonder noted, as adjustments may be needed if situations change.
In addition to the 1,000 men and women who will be active abroad, Defence also plans to have several hundred military personnel on standby ready to intervene: around 450 for NATO, 200 for the EU, 200 para-commandos and 120 for national crises.
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The Belgian Ministry of Defence announced earlier this year that it would recruit more than 4,000 people next year – a near-record number – which will help sustain this higher figure.
The roles include 2,500 active military personnel and 460 civilians, and the recruitment is due to start in January 2024, with a selection and recruitment phase that will end in May 2026.
