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Belgian soldiers from the 12 Li Light Infantry Battalion are deployed to secure airport in Belgium 11104162.


| 2016
Defence & Security News - Belgium
 
Belgian soldiers from the 12 Li Light Infantry Battalion are deployed to secure airport in Belgium.
Army Recognition editorial team was with the Belgian troops following the two Brussels terrorist attacks Tuesday Morning, March 22, 2016. The 12 Li. Light Infantry battalion of the Belgian army was on military exercise in the training camp of Lagland, South of Belgium. Around 09H00 AM, the commander of the battalion received new orders for a deployment of armed troops to secure the most important airports in Belgium.
     
     

We had an exclusive opportunity to interview Lieutenant Colonel Monin, Commander officer of the 12 Li. Light Infantry Battalion Light Infantry Battalion during preparations for the deployment of Belgian soldiers of this unit to secure the most important airports in Belgium .

Two blasts hit Brussels airport, around 8 a.m. local time. The first explosion tore through the departure hall, while the second happened minutes later in another area.

A third blast hit Maelbeek metro station in the city center, a short walk from many European Union offices, around 9:10 a.m.

Belgian Police officers and soldiers were deployed to secure all airports, train stations, ports border crossings and major buildings immediately after the two suicide terrorist attacks in Brussels.

Lieutenant-Colonel Monin said," The soldiers of the 12 Li. are deployed since the Balkan crisis in 1993, and our troops have now the training and experience to carry out protection mission in civilian area."

On request of the Belgian Police, the 12Li is also able to deploy light tactical trucks or wheeled combat armoured vehicles Lynx or Dingo 2 depending on the level of the threat.

Today, Belgian troops are trained to perform a full range of missions from military support to law enforcement equipped with the world's most effective lethal and non-lethal weapons.

Each Belgian soldiers are armed with one 5.56mm FNC assault rifle which will be replaced in the next few months by the FN Herstal SCAR and one automatic pistol FN Five-seven 5.7x28mm caliber.

Belgian soldiers are now trained with new tactical shooting technique to minimize movement for optimal performance. This is more effective in close combat and within roughly 100 meters except that the handling applies just the same at long distances. This is a technique used for close combat and combat in urban zones.

In fact, "police actions" are nothing new to Belgian Armed Forces: In 1992, they contributed to UNPROFOR by sending an infantry battalion to the Baranja region (BELBAT: 1,038 troops) and by providing UNPROFOR’s Force Commander between 1993 and 1994 (General Francis Briquemont). In addition, between 1996 and 1998, Belgium contributed 130 troops to UNTAES (Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Sirmium). It also contributed 450 troops to UNAMIR I and II and elite fighting force battalions to UNOSOM I and II (Somalia).
 

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