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Belgium Revives Air Defense with Surface-to-Air Missiles to Fill Strategic Gap Amid European Security Realignment.
Confronted with a complete absence of air defense capabilities since 2017, Belgium has now placed the acquisition of surface-to-air missile systems among its top strategic priorities. In a European context shaped by the lessons of the war in Ukraine and the growing need for a coordinated defense umbrella, Brussels is determined to catch up in securing its national airspace. This shift comes as the continent’s strategic environment deteriorates rapidly, amplified by repeated statements from the Trump administration indicating a potential U.S. military disengagement from its European allies. This abrupt change, which challenges a transatlantic security framework built over more than seventy years, has triggered a strong political response in many European capitals.
According to information published by La Lettre on October 28, 2024, Belgium is preparing to procure the European SAMP/T system developed by MBDA in cooperation with Thales. (Picture source: Eurosam)
In light of rising conventional and hybrid threats and the growing prospect of a Europe left to defend itself, the reactivation of air defense capabilities has become a strategic necessity. The evolution of the Ukrainian conflict has shown that air superiority no longer depends solely on fighter aircraft but increasingly on the ability to intercept long-range attacks, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and armed drones. For Belgium, as for other EU member states, the moment calls for immediate and concrete measures to strengthen both national resilience and collective deterrence.
General Vansina, Chief of Defense of the Belgian Armed Forces, recently sounded the alarm about the country’s vulnerability, particularly along its northern coastline: “Belgium’s back door is wide open.” The current system relies primarily on a joint alert mechanism with the Netherlands, involving Belgian F-16s and Dutch F-35s, which are on standby to intercept unauthorized aircraft within fifteen minutes. However, this air policing arrangement is limited in scope and provides no defense against long-range missile strikes of the kind seen in Ukraine.
Under the STAR plan for modernizing the Belgian Armed Forces, a budget of €900 million was allocated to acquire both short- and long-range surface-to-air missile systems. A first contract was signed in June 2024 with France, Cyprus, Hungary, and Estonia for the purchase of Mistral short-range missiles from European manufacturer MBDA. This marks a gradual return to a capacity that had previously been dismantled. However, this program only addresses very short-range threats, and Belgium is now also considering medium-range air defense systems.
According to information published by La Lettre on October 28, 2024, Belgium is preparing to procure the European SAMP/T system, developed by MBDA in cooperation with Thales. This system, equipped with the ASTER 30 missile, would be the first medium-range air defense capability ever acquired by the Belgian Armed Forces, filling a long-standing gap in its defense posture. The contract, under discussion since the summer of 2024, could be finalized in the coming weeks, once a new coalition government is formed in Brussels.
Historically, Belgium maintained a significant air defense arsenal. From Nike Hercules and Hawk missiles to Roland systems, Bofors L70 guns, and Mistral MANPADS, Belgian forces had access to a broad spectrum of anti-aircraft equipment. The gradual dismantling of these systems, beginning in the 1990s and culminating in 2017, was based on the assumption that NATO integration and Western air superiority would suffice. That strategy is now increasingly seen as outdated.
In this context, reliance on European manufacturers such as MBDA is gaining momentum. The choice of Mistral for very short-range needs and SAMP/T for medium-range coverage may signal a broader shift in Belgian strategy aimed at reducing dependence on U.S. or Israeli systems, which can be subject to external political constraints.
The threat posed by Russian hypersonic missiles, such as the Orechnik missile launched in November 2024 against Ukraine at speeds exceeding 12,000 km/h, further underscores the urgency of modernization. Intercepting such projectiles requires highly precise detection and real-time targeting capabilities. Moreover, the saturation of defense systems by simultaneous drone swarms, cruise missile salvos, and ballistic attacks demands a density of coverage that Belgium cannot achieve alone.
The establishment of a European air defense shield will, therefore, require expanding coverage across frontline states such as Poland and Romania, at sea via French frigates, and on national territory through a coordinated deployment of systems. For Belgium, this involves not only procurement efforts but also increased participation in the European defense industrial base. Companies like John Cockerill Defense and SABCA could play a role in system production, integration, or component manufacturing.
Belgium—long absent from the air defense landscape—is now gradually returning to the field with a more strategic approach. Through its involvement in European programs such as the Mistral acquisition and its intention to procure the SAMP/T system, the country is positioning itself to strengthen its territorial protection significantly. However, the effectiveness of this rearmament will ultimately depend on its integration into a broader, structured, and sovereign European framework. The emergence of a credible continental defense shield now rests as much on political will as on the industrial capacity to produce, deploy, and sustain systems capable of countering threats that continue to evolve without delay.