Latest news with #TheoFrancken
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Belgium reconsiders FCAS role after Dassault CEO slams F-35 purchase
BRUSSELS, July 25 (Reuters) - Belgium is reconsidering its role in the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) following sharp criticism of the country's procurement policy from Dassault Aviation ( opens new tab CEO Eric Trappier, a Defence Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Friday. Trappier slammed the country's push for full partner status in FCAS - whose primary industrial partners are Dassault Aviation and Airbus ( opens new tab - even as Belgium is buying 11 U.S.-made F-35A fighters, as well as committing 300 million euros to the FCAS program. Dassault leads the design of the costly FCAS fighter, a key pillar of the complex project which seeks to integrate manned aircraft with autonomous drones, and its CEO took exception to the F-35A purchase. While announcing Dassault's quarterly financial results last week, Trappier had said: "If (Belgium) gives up the idea of buying F-35s, they'd be welcome. If not, it's really making a monkey out of us." He added that joining FCAS requires a commitment to the European defence industry and warned against countries seeking program benefits without purchasing European-made equipment. Countries want the jobs created by the program, "but they buy from the United States. It's all rather odd," Trappier said. In response, Belgian Defense minister Theo Francken said on Thursday: "The government will evaluate her position in the FCAS project. As a founding father of NATO and the EU, loyal ally and headquarters owner, we can't take lessons from arrogant industrialists." A defence ministry spokesperson said his views - expressed on the minister's Facebook page - were "clear" but had no further comment. Dassault Aviation on Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Francken's remarks. Belgium's potential reconsideration of its bid for full partner status in FCAS is unlikely to significantly impact the project, though it highlights political tensions within it. Earlier this week, Dassault raised concerns about the future of FCAS amid a dispute with Airbus over leadership and control of the program.
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Business
- Euractiv
‘Arrogant' French have Belgium rethinking FCAS next-gen fighter jet project
BRUSSELS – Belgium is re-evaluating whether to join the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, the country's defence minister stated publicly on Thursday morning, following pushback from the head of French aerospace firm Dassault. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken fired back at Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier – a major contractor in the FCAS programme – who had publicly stated that Belgium could not join the project if it also purchased America-made F-35 jets. 'The government will evaluate its position on the FCAS project', Francken said in a post on X, just days after Belgium announced its intention to fully join the initiative. 'As a founding member of NATO and the EU, a staunch ally and the host of the headquarters, we have no lessons to learn from arrogant industrialists.' The Belgian government had moved to fully join the French-German-Spanish FCAS programme on Friday. The multi-billion-euro project is one of Europe's largest defence projects, with the aim of developing a next-generation air combat system centred around a fighter jet as well as drones and other complex support systems. At the same time, Belgium has set out plans to fly both American-made fifth-generation F-35 fighters and the FCAS, which is scheduled to be operational by 2040 but which has already faced delays. Trappier, who sees himself as the undisputed leader of the joint FCAS project, described the idea of operating both fighter types as incoherent and accused the Belgians of seeking to score jobs created by the programme while also buying "from the US". Friction between Dassault and the main German partner in the project, Airbus Defence, has recently thrown the project into turmoil. The German and French defence ministers, who are meeting on Thursday, are expected to discuss the programme's troubles at length. Belgium can't buy American F-35s and still join Europe's FCAS fighter jet programme, says French aviation chief "If [Belgium] gives up the idea of buying F-35s, they'd be welcome," the CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, has said. (bts, aw)
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Belgium to add F-35s, spend billions on anti-air in defense catch-up
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways PARIS — Belgium will buy more F-35s, a third frigate and spend billions of euros on air defense as part of an updated strategic plan approved by the government on Friday, with the country seeking to fix capability gaps after decades of being one of NATO's lowest spenders on defense. Belgium's military requires a 'thorough transformation' to create a force fit to deter and for high-intensity warfare rather than expeditionary missions, Defence Minister Theo Francken wrote in a foreword to the 100-plus-page Strategic Vision 2025 report . In addition to more hardware, the plan calls for raising the number of military personnel by around a third by 2034. 'A country like Belgium can only remain free and sovereign by aligning itself with loyal and powerful partners,' Francken said. 'And we can only count on their loyalty if we are prepared to show solidarity in their defense.' The new Belgian government earlier this year agreed to lift defense spending to 2% of GDP, for a budget of €12.8 billion (US$14.9 billion) in 2025, breaking with decades lingering at the bottom of NATO's defense-spending tables. The country allocated an estimated 1.29% of GDP to defense in 2024, with only Spain doing worse. As part of the strategic plan published on Friday, Belgium is budgeting €34.8 billion in capacity commitments for 2026-2034, with €24.7 billion of the funds to be spent over the period. 'Through concrete commitments, the government aims to restore the country's diplomatic credibility,' Francken said. 'It's against this backdrop that this new strategic vision has been approved by the government.' The current defense budget can't patch all the gaps left by years of under-investment, and Belgium will focus on priority areas, according to the report. Those include making its medium motorized brigade fully operational, creating layered air defenses, building up ammo supplies to ensure readiness, adding air-combat capability and expanding maritime surface-combat capacity. Planned purchases include an additional 11 F-35 fighters for a budget of €1.67 billion, with orders planned next year. Belgium has already ordered 34 of the jets, with eight delivered so far and the entire fleet expected to be operational early 2031. High-intensity operations and new threats such as drones and hypersonic missiles make strengthening the air force component 'absolutely necessary,' while the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the need for air power to avoid a stalemate, according to the report. Belgium currently lacks any ground-based missile defense, and will buy 10 NASAMS systems from Kongsberg for €2 billion, with orders in 2026, as a first step to gradually building up an anti-air capability. The aim will be to defend the entire territory, with a focus on sensitive infrastructure, according to the plan – Belgium is home to Europe's second-busiest port in Antwerp as well as NATO headquarters in Brussels. The government also intends to buy three long-range air-defense systems, with a budget of €2 billion and a first commitment planned in 2029. For the long-range systems, full interoperability with the air-defense capacities of the Netherlands 'must absolutely be guaranteed.' While the report didn't go into details, Belgium's northern neighbor operates the U.S. Patriot system. The budget plans over the period also include €13.9 billion for the country's land motorized capability, of which €6 billion are for combat maneuver. Belgium says it's committed to providing NATO with a motorized medium brigade, a motorized light brigade and a joint motorized medium-combat reconnaissance battalion together with Luxembourg. The medium brigade will have around 7,800 troops and 2,700 vehicles of various types, with the goal of being able to field the completed brigade in 2030, particularly in a NATO context. To bolster the naval component of the armed forces, Belgium plans to buy a third anti-submarine warfare frigate, for a budget of €1.3 billion. Belgium and the Netherlands each ordered two ASW frigates from Damen in 2023, with the Netherlands saying last year it would double its order as part of increased defense spending . The country also plans to order a third MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone in 2027 for a budget of €254 million. The Belgian government in April agreed to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP in 2025 and maintain that level through to 2033, before an increase to 2.5%. After the NATO meeting in June, where allies agreed on core defense spending of 3.5%, the government will 'study the modalities' of a potential increase, Francken said. Based on the current plans and economic outlook, Belgian defense spending would rise gradually to €16.5 billion in 2033 before a jump to €21.3 billion in 2034, according to the strategy report. Belgium's strategic goals for 2035 are to prepare for a high-intensity military conflict in a context of collective defense, protect its territory and to anticipate future warfare, according to the report. The government goal is to increase military personnel to 29,000 by the end of 2029 and rising to 34,500 personnel by the end of 2034, from 26,200 troops at the start of this year, while also more than tripling the number of civilian defense staff. Belgium additionally plans to expand its reserve force five-fold to 12,800 by the end of the planning period, as well as introduce a voluntary military service year for young adults in 2026, following the example of the Dutch service-year program started in 2023. Francken said the threat of war is now greater than at any time during the Cold War, and Belgium lacks readiness in all areas, including a population that is insufficiently informed and aware of the reality of military threats. The U.S. pivot to Asia means Europe is forced to assume a certain level of strategic autonomy, and Belgium argues for developing a European defense pillar within NATO, according to Francken. An end to the war in Ukraine could prompt Russia to test the solidarity of NATO, for example by invading a Baltic country or through a targeted missile attack on an alliance member, the latter of which could include Belgium, the strategy report said.
Al Arabiya
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel should have monopoly on nuclear weapons in region: Belgian defense minister
Belgium's defense minister said Wednesday that Israel must have a monopoly on nuclear weapons in the Middle East, adding that Iran is a threat to the West and should not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. 'I think that we need to do everything to ensure Iran cannot have a nuclear capacity. The monopoly of Israel on the nuclear perspective is absolutely necessary,' Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told Al Arabiya English on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague. 'Iran is a direct threat to the West, absolutely,' he added. Following last weekend's unprecedented US bombing operation against three Iranian nuclear sites, including the notorious Fordow, conflicting reports have emerged over how much impact those strikes had. Low-level intelligence assessments from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) leaked to US media this week suggested that Iran may still have a majority of its nuclear capabilities intact. A senior DIA official told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday that a probe had been launched into the leak, highlighting that it was a preliminary, low-confidence assessment, not a final conclusion. 'We have still not been able to review the actual physical sites themselves, which will give us the best indication,' a senior DIA official told Al Arabiya English. Asked about the impact of the US strikes, the Belgian minister said the reports were not very convincing. 'When you drop those bombs on that site, I think that the probability is very high that it is destroyed. But I'm not there; I'm not an expert,' Franken said.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Belgium braces for first F-35 delivery this fall
MILAN — After facing delays, the first F-35A aircraft is expected to arrive in Belgium in the coming months as part of a total order of 34 fighter jets, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. In 2018, Belgium selected the American jet and agreed to a €3.6 billion ($4.1 billion) deal for over two dozen of them to be manufactured in the United States. 'Belgium's first F-35 to arrive in country has rolled off the production line and is gearing up for arrival in Belgium this fall,' Lockheed Martin Europe wrote in a social media post on their X platform. Deliveries were initially slated to begin in late 2023, but due to delays in the production of the Joint Strike Fighter program, they were pushed back. In an interview in February with Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Chief of Staff of the Belgian Air Force Gen. Frederik Vansina said the F-35 setbacks also affected the first transfer of the 30 decommissioned F-16s bound for Ukraine. The Belgian F-16s, which have been flying for over 30 years, are intended to be phased out by late 2028 to allow for the delivery of the aging aircraft to Ukraine. The European country currently has over 50 F-16 jets in its arsenal. According to reports from Belgian newspaper De Morgen, Brussels is assessing the possibility of ordering 21 additional F-35s, which, if realized, would bring its total fleet size to 55. The Belgian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. Last month, the Belgian Minister of Defense and Foreign Trade Theo Francken said any potential follow-on F-35A purchases could be built in Europe at the final assembly and checkout (FACO) facility in Cameri, Italy.
