Belgian plans: buy AH64s, civilianise SAR, keep only 8 A109s

[Stratofreighter]

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2284914
in a machine translation:
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Mon 03/30/2015 - 06:31

This is contained in a confidential report of the top defense that might consult our editors.

According to the document, Defence will from next year are no longer able to pay debts and the army will anyway a lot of tasks to repel.
The current savings could undermine the army into hibernation, but even with an increased budget, the ax must deployed.

The report of 133 pages, the army sets the strategic directions for the next decades.

The generals are trying to defeat the plans of the government. Who wants to save the current reign until 2019 for a total of 1.7 billion euros on defense.

Therefore the army threatens even the debt not be able to pay more.
Next year, though there threaten a deficit of 80 million and by 2019 this could be as high as 213 million.

Therefore, the army, the government to grant an "interdepartmental commission" of 100 million euros.

That is an envelope of money being put aside by the government to pay expenses that are still uncertain when preparing the budget.
If that commission is not even much needed current investments would no longer be possible.



Even after 2019 again some more money is available, heavy savings in the army will remain necessary the army commanders, and in just about any scenario.
Some of the measures and the list that represents Defense now itself, is not wrong.


• as the staff of Defense can be halved

• 35% would have to close the barracks, spread evenly across the country (eg Glons and Semmerzake)
• Defense wants the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek (with the familiar burn center) does not fully fund more

• sharp reduction Royal Military School (up to 60% of staff would disappear)
• merge resplendent (100 jobs saved)

• no more soldiers in Army Museum (219 full-time jobs)
• reducing number AgustaWestland AW109 helicopters from 20 to 8
• outsourcing rescue in North Sea (Seakings) to civilian sector

However, the decisions are made by politicians.
The report of the army staff now goes to Defence Minister Steven Vandeput (N-VA). Which should draw up a proposal for the government.
It is clear that in the future anyway go to another army.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/politiek/1.2288031
Yes, well, this "rapport van de Legertop" WILL become important if Belgian Defence keeps getting starved of funds...

[Stratofreighter]

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/politiek/1.2296794
...and in Machine-translation:
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Tue 04/07/2015 - 11:36

In addition to a separate cyberwarfare component wants Defence Minister Steven Vandeput also bet on the navy. In particular, the fleet frigates would not be curtailed, but even expanded.

Belgian army gets cyber component in addition to traditional land, air and naval

The news is a blueprint of Defense Minister Steven Vandeput (N-VA) on the future of our army until 2030.

It is significant that the minister not only the current two frigates will be replaced by more modern types, but there is also a frigate will buy.

In total, our fleet of three frigates, and that there are actually five if you include the Dutch fleet.

Navy is the most likely European integrated part of our army by the very close cooperation with the Netherlands. With a total of four frigates start to play international sea, the logic excuse.

That logic is consistent with the importance of the three ports (Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ghent) and the logistics sector for our economy and thus should Belgium in the area of ​​free shipping play internationally, albeit in a European or NATO framework.

Defense wants as also the current mine hunters replaced by newer types that were equipped with drones or unmanned aircraft. On the other hand bailouts over the North Sea would be outsourced to the private sector again.

The new NH90 helicopters to replace the Seakings would receive a new task, namely the lookout for submarines.

Defense wants more, not going to do less

The past few months were also within the majority of ideas to downsize the army and a number of tasks -like tapering the navy. So not is discussed in the blueprint Minister Vandeput.

Specialization within NATO and the EU can only if within that framework politically binding agreements which country will do what and who are not there yet.

Therefore thus Defense wants no major shedding jobs, but rather to do more. Thus Minister Vandeput consider to buy the type of Apache attack helicopters also within the decade.

The Minister is, moreover, not to mention the fact that his blueprint was leaked. He wants to put after the Easter break his strategic vision in detail to the government and only after that he wants to speak to the press about his plans. Recently leaked even a note of the Army Staff of the scenarios for the future.

Also:
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... pable.html

The Defence Staff wants the successor of the F-16 fighter-bombers to also carry nuclear warheads. This is revealed by a confidential internal document that the VRT [TV station] was able to consult.

This is the first time defense explicitly refers to our country’s potential role in the deployment of nuclear weapons, even if it is an open secret that nuclear weapons are stationed on our territory.

According to the generals, it is important that our F-16 be equipped with nuclear bombs because then we can "box in a higher category."

The senior levels of Defence want the successor to the F-16 to also be able to carry nuclear weapons.

To continue this nuclear role requires that Belgium has enough fighters, and the military leadership dream of having 40 available fighters.

[Hurricane]

Yeah right ... Doing more & not less and continuing to cut budgets (just like NL)

[Stratofreighter]

Yeah right ... Doing more & not less and continuing to cut budgets (just like NL)

Well, these decisions are political. How do you want to spend your money?

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binne ... =1.2297196

Defensieminister Vandeput wil na besparingen budget opnieuw fors verhogen

SP.A en vredesbeweging geven Vandeput nu al de wind van voren

De Vlaamse socialisten zijn niet te spreken over de uitgelekte plannen van minister van Defensie Steven Vandeput. Volgens Durk Van der Maelen kan een volgende regering die investeringen nooit betalen.

Dirk Van der Maelen (SP.A) reageert vol ongeloof op de plannen voor Defensie om na 2020 nog meer te doen. Hij zegt dat de huidige minister Vandeput (N-VA) en diens regering het leger nu in een comateuze toestand brengen.

Na 2020 zou het budget voor Defensie echter verdubbeld worden met ambitieuze plannen zoals de aankoop van een extra fregat, de allerduurste vliegtuigen te wereld (F-35's of Joint Strike Fighters, maar die beslissing is nog niet genomen) en dergelijke.

We'll see...

Civilianising the SAR-task certainly isn't a pipe-dream...
Cutting back the number of A109s isn't one as well...

There is A LOT of difference in opinion and values, not to speak priorities, between the large Belgian political parties
N-VA / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Flemish_Alliance
and
SPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialisti ... tij_Anders

[nils]

VTM also noted the possibility of armed drones, such as the MQ-9B Reaper

http://nieuws.vtm.be/binnenland/136041- ... n-defensie

[Alpha Kilo One]

Maybe I missed it, but is there somewhere an amount of Apaches mentioned?

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[PNegri]

Maybe I missed it, but is there somewhere an amount of Apaches mentioned?


Its alluded me as well