Belgium Defence Minister want to triple defence budget by 2030 31106154

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Defence & Security News - Belgium
 
Belgium Defence Minister want to triple defence budget by 2030
Belgium Defence Minister Steven Vandeput wants to triple the budget of the Belgian army by 2030, wrote the Belgian newspaper La Libre. Vandeput targets a budget of €2.1 billion by 2019 and €6.3 billion by 2030. In 2015, Belgian Defence Minister should receive a budget of €2.45 billion and this budget should decline to €2.1 billion by 2019 if proposed cuts to reduce budget deficit are voted.
     
Belgium Defence Minister want to triple defence budget by 2030 Belgian Army will still be facing budget cuts in the next few years
     

The defense minister had previously made clear that he wants Belgium spend 1.6% of GDP on defence in the future. The minister said that it is the average budget of other NATO countries despite the fact that NATO guideline is to spend a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence.

In addition, Minister Vandeput would also work on a law to establish the future investments of Belgium for its defence in the next decade. Belgian Defence Minister would like to free up between 10 and 12 billion of euros to replace the fregats and F-16s. According to La Libre, Lockheed-Martin F-35 is currently the most likely to succeed the F-16.

"My objectives are to have a defence that can be used and to increase its activity. All I'm suggesting is committed to those goals,"Vandeput said Sunday, June 7, at La Libre, without wanting to go into the details of his proposal. "I'm pretty sure we can reach an agreement on a strategic plan before the summer holidays."

For now, Belgium has two Karel Doorman-class frigate (second-hand vessels from Dutch Navy) and about 50 F-16s that will soon celebrate their fortieth anniversary.