On June 15, 2023, Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defense of Belgium, and François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Luxembourg signed the cooperation agreement concerning the establishment and joint operation of the Binational Reconnaissance Battalion.
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Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defense of Belgium, and François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Luxembourg signed the cooperation agreement concerning the establishment and joint operation of the Binational Reconnaissance Battalion (Picture source: Belgian MoD)
The Belgian-Luxembourg Reconnaissance Battalion will be a concrete example of the implementation of NATO and European Union concepts aimed at promoting enhanced multinational cooperation. The establishment and joint operation of the Battalion will be carried out in three phases:
1) Initial phase, focused on Marche-en-Famenne for the Belgian Defense and Diekirch for the Luxembourg Army, with an initial integration at Marche-en-Famenne;
2) Intermediate phase, marked by the gradual establishment of the binational Battalion in Arlon and by the gradual commissioning of facilities in Luxembourg;
3) Final phase, by 2030, marked by maximum integration, with Arlon as the center of gravity and with a significant footprint in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The establishment of the Binational Battalion will be piloted by a Steering Committee co-chaired by representatives of the Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army and the Belgian Chief of Defence. Decisions relating to the establishment and operation of the Binational Battalion, in particular those having a financial impact, are taken by mutual agreement between the two parties.
The structure and organization of the binational battalion will make it possible to respond to the capability objectives proposed to Belgium and Luxembourg within the framework of NATO's defense planning process and will be consistent with the choices made within the framework of the strategic partnership and the cooperation set up between Belgium and France in the field of land mobility on the occasion of the renewal of their respective motorized components, called CaMo (Motorized Capacity).
The binational battalion will be trained, equipped and capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, in a national, multilateral framework, or in support of an international or regional organization, such as NATO, the European Union or the United Nations. United Nations. The Belgian and Luxembourg Defenses undertake to contribute equitably to the personnel needs of the binational battalion, which is over 700 strong.
“Today we are entering a key stage in terms of military cooperation, which builds on our valuable experiences gained over the years as part of the A400M binational unit. This Battalion will be of paramount importance in terms of the transformation of the Luxembourg Army, perfectly in response to the expectations of NATO or the EU. declared François Bausch. And to add: “This signature sends a strong signal to our Allies and demonstrates our commitment, our solidarity and our determination to take regional cooperation to a new dimension. »
Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said: “The creation of our binational reconnaissance battalion with the Luxembourg armed forces is a continuation of the excellent defense cooperation that our two countries already enjoy today. Trust, cooperation and interoperability are the keys to successful partnerships. Our binational A400M unit and the Luxembourg students of the Royal Military Academy are perfect examples of this. Our two countries were the basis of the European Union and are now working together to further develop Defense Europe, for a stronger and safer Europe within NATO. »
The establishment of the Binational Battalion will be piloted by a Steering Committee co-chaired by representatives of the Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army and the Belgian Chief of Defence (Picture source: Belgian MoD)
Defense News June 2023
