Belgian defence cuts

[Antoine]

Belgian Defence Minister, Pieter De Crem (CD&V) has announced a drastic restructuring operation for the armed forces. Under the plan 23 military bases are being closed, among them for the Air Component are Bierset airbase as previously reported, but also Goestenhoven airbase (Militair Centrum Voor Zweefvliegen), the Control and Reporting Centre at Glons and the reserve bases of Oostmalle/Zoersel and Weelde. At the same time it was decided that 6 out of the 60 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters are to be mothballed as well as 8 Agusta A109BA helicopters. Source: De Redactie / Baha.be

[Thijs]

Most Remarkable, in my opinion, they are going to close 23 bases / installations and they still have enough bases left. How many bases do they have? If I count quickly the Dutch Defence forces have around 30 bases.

Another remarkable fact is the closure of the CRC Glons, they only have one CRC, so who is going to do this task? or is this task transferred to another base?

The rest of the news sounds very logical in my opinion.

edit: I also referred to bases as in installations, thanks TinTin

[Tintin]

I think that Antoine is talking about closure of 23 military installations and not airbases...
From what I've read (in french), the Agustas should be deployed to Beauvechain, together with the transport NH-90s helicopters, while the SAR NH-90s should go to Koksijde.

[K-9]

Well considering this low amount of jets. One would say shut one F-16 base !
Only SAR helo's at Koksijde, shut that place down as well, locate those helo's at Oostende ( open 24/7 ) and enough space available...

[Herbertvh]

I read this message on MSF a couple of weeks ago:

Belgium to join Sheppard AFB program
Stacy Johnson, Times Record News
Posted September 26, 2009 at 2:18 a.m.

Belgium will be reentering the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard’s 80th Flying Training Wing next year, and the business of training NATO air warriors will continue as usual, according to ENJJPT steering committee chairman Brig. Gen. Franco Marsiglia, commander of the Italian Air Force Academy. The steering committee met this week at Sheppard to discuss details of the multi-national undergraduate pilot training program.
“Next year we will have the reentry of the Belgium air force, and we are very lucky because we will have more students and more European instructor pilots,” Marsiglia said.
Marsiglia said the steering committee also focused on the new syllabus for pilot training which includes the T-6 Texan II airframe, which replaced the
T-37 Tweet this past year for Phase 2 pilot training at the base.
“The main change was the new T-6 aircraft and the new syllabus, which is a good syllabus for the junior pilots and there is a real increase in initial operating capability,” Marsiglia said.
80th Flying Wing Commander Col. Kevin Schneider said the T-6 changeover allowed for those increases in operating capability for the pilots.
“Part of the T-6 program (is) the simulators, so the students are receiving higher fidelity ground-based training in the T-6 (simulators) than they were in able to receive in the T-37,” Schneider said, As a result, he said, students hitting the flightline in the T-6 are observed as being steps ahead of the students going through the T-37’s, because of that ground-based training.
“So, the net result is we’re able to do more with our students and provide them with greater flying ability,” Schneider said.
He said the steering committee, where the 13 countries in the joint pilot training program meet every six months, allows all the partner nations to have input into the training at the program.
“Each and very nation has a say in the training here, and each and every nation has a voice and each and every nation sends us their best, whether instructor pilots or students,” Schneider said. “Every six months the steering committee sits down and talks about things they would like to see different in the program, and the reason that they bring these changes to the table are the result of the experiences their pilots are seeing in combat operations each and every day.”
He said the syllabus for the training program is constantly evolving.
“The bottom line is we train NATO air warriors today for tomorrow’s fight,”
Schneider said. “The world is evolving, air combat is evolving, the threat is evolving and we have to continually adapt to changes in air power, to changes in the threat and the changes in the environment each and every day,” Schneider said.
Marsiglia said the support by the military and civilians for the joint pilot training program is one of the reasons it has been so successful since its inception in 1981.
“All the countries during the meeting say ‘Thank you very much’ to the United States Air Force for continuous excellent support of the program.
That’s why we stay here in the USA; and in my opinion, this program will continue in the future for a long time,” Marsiglia said. “An interesting situation for European people is the social and community around the Air Force, we are very lucky and very happy for the great, excellent and spontaneous support by the Sheppard Military Affairs Committee, ENJJPT sponsors and those in the communities of Wichita Falls, Burkburnett and Iowa Park.”

That made me wonder if the Belgian Air Force is planning to stop using the Marchettis and Alpha Jets as well . . .

[boonens]

That made me wonder if the Belgian Air Force is planning to stop using the Marchettis and Alpha Jets as well . . .

I can't help you with an answer to your question, however I do think that rejoining ENJJPT will have no influence on the Marchettis, as they need a plane for basic flying training leading up to the Texan II.

[frank kramer]

Also of note from an aviation point of view is the closure of the Para Training Centre at Schaffen-Diest, although a military presence in Diest (probably the barracks in the town, not the airfield) will remain. The question is how this will affect the famous Old-Timer Fly In at Schaffen. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

[frank kramer]

Well considering this low amount of jets. One would say shut one F-16 base !

Ah, but then debate would start to rage about which base to close: the Flemish one or the Wallon one

[Stafsels]

Which plane do they prefer to follow up the F-16?

JSF / Rafale/ Grippen of new F-16's?

Greetings,

Stafsels

[Nighthawk]

[quote="Stafsels"]Which plane do they prefer to follow up the F-16?

JSF / Rafale/ Grippen of new F-16's?


= none. NO Budget, NO political meaning to buy or even think about new aircraft.

[KIER]

The rumors I've heard are ;

No following up for the F-16 , so ...Florennes, and Kleine Brogel both closing down.

Bierset also closing down and all the helo's to Beauvechain.

And the military part of Brussel also closing down and all aircraft from this base to Beauvechain, including the new A400's (if they will be ready sometime this century)

My two pennies,


Kier

[nils]

its like there moving all operations to Beauvechain, im starting to wonder if that base can handle that ammount of aircraft.
couldnt it be a better idea to move the transports (A400M) to KeeBee.

regarding the follow-up of the F-16, i think its a bit to early to say as the current airframes of the F-16AM/BM have all underwent the Falcon-STAR program (renewal and repair of the airframes skeleton) as part of the MLU project. so with this structural upgrade they are expected to fly up to arround 2020-2025. however there is a chance (especially with NATO requirments & duties) there will be an F-16 replacement. the Eurofighter consortuim has made an offer for the Typhoon to Belgium some 2 years ago, and ealier this year Lockheed said Belgium has re-shown intrest in the F-35 (there was a big Lockmart promotion stand at the Koksijde airshow this year, and a mockup of the F-35 with belgian roundels at Florennes last year). the most recent i heared was that the Rafale and F-16IN were favorites, but i think this is not likely as the Rafale would require a whole new weapons pack, as the aircraft is not compatible wsith the current american weapons (AIM-9, JDAM, JSOW,...). my personal favorite is the Gripen NG, its affordable in both aquasition and maintanance, is compatible with the current weapons the F-16 carries and can be tailored to Belgian requirments.

what ever fighter would be chosen (that is if it were to be bought) it will depend on how the situation in the world is when the time comes.

ON TOPIC:
the current defence cuts are not that bad then first anticipated, but there are certain big mistakes de Crem made, like shutting down the oldest paracommando unit in the country, 1 para of Schaffen Diest.
the closure of Bierset was expected to happen, as Liege airport had expansion plans on the table for the coming years.
the original plans, dating 4 years back, was to turn Koksijde AB into a fully cabable Helicopter base (like the one in Gilze Rijen in the Netherlands) but that seems unlikely. yesterday it was announced that they are gonna extend tre tracks of the "kusttram" to Veurne, with the tracks running past Koksijde AB, with a Tunnel under the Runway, so i guess the runway at Koksijde is likely to stay as it is (plans were to shorten the runway to 1000 meters, but encountered protest by NATO)

[Trueno]

Well, I think that if the Belgiums would have any plan to replace their F-16's in future (2020 period), they should already have some "paper-plans" to evaluate possible candidates! Look at our neighbours like Denmark and Norway, which are also planning to replace their F-16's around that time... I am pretty sure that belgium will become a European "New Zealand air arm"... no place (and budget) for fighters after the F-16!!!

They will focus on transport and helicopter support operations in future.

[Gerard]

They will focus on transport and helicopter support operations in future.

And they will use the famous word "Ni" to defend themselves?

[Hurricane]

And they will use the famous word "Ni" to defend themselves?

as in Not Interested?? Don't worry, if there is life the Dutch will find it (and hopefully also defend it)

H.