Open VLD comes up with a solid defense plan. According to the liberals, the army needs new fighter planes, armed drones and tanks, among other things. The NATO standard must be achieved by 2029, six years faster than planned. This can be read in De morgen.
Friday, February 23, 2024 at 8:03 AM
“We are two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the realization has grown that you cannot have freedom without security. Vladimir Putin has forced us to face the facts. That is why we think it is important to now propose a fully-fledged and well-calculated defense plan,” says chairman Tom Ongena.
Last weekend, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had promised a “significantly accelerated” reconstruction of the Belgian army. Since 2014, NATO has been asking its member states to increase their military spending to 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP). Belgium is currently at 1.1 percent. This means that our country scores particularly poorly.
© BELGIUM
If it is up to the liberals, Belgium will reach the NATO standard by 2029 – six years earlier than expected. According to Open VLD, this corresponds to an additional annual effort of approximately 4 billion euros.
The liberal defense plan assumes an army that has “sufficient resources to be active in the highest spectrum of violence”. Open VLD therefore advocates an accelerated purchase of anti-aircraft defense and helicopters. Remarkable: tanks will also soon make a comeback in the Belgian army if it depends on Open VLD. Ten years ago, the army said goodbye to its last Leopards.
