Military


Belgium - Navy / Composante Maritime / Marinecomponent

The primary mission of the maritime component is to ensure Belgian state presence in the maritime territory, to contribute to Belgian foreign policy and trade support, to contribute to technical and military cooperation with the allied countries, to contribute to the humanitarian missions, ?shing control, oceanographic research, police and customs operations support and commercial naval officers training.

In the event of large con?ict it would concentrate within the North Atlantic Alliance on the following goals:

  • Air/sea control, escort support to ship transport and mine warfare,
  • Building a unit at the level of battle group assigned for joint NATO operations.
In addition, it should be able to provide 650 personnel for multinational operations of the following types:
  • Building a multinational unit of escort vessels operational for six months, for a longer period provide for personnel rotation,
  • Building a group assigned for anti-mine warfare composed of ?ve mine hunters and their logistic support operational for six months, less vessels should be deployed in a longer mission due to necessary rotation,
  • Building capacity for strategic naval transports (by 2015).
The main mission of the Belgian Navy within the NATO Cold War framework was to protect the maritime lanes of communication that pass through the English Channel and the North Sea. The shallowness of Belgian waters and the narrow access to Belgian ports make them vulnerable to mine and submarine attack. The Belgian Navy had three different missions: antisubmarine warfare, antimine operations, and defense of the coast and ports. These are both NATO and national responsibilities in time of war. In peacetime the navy is also responsible for other tasks, such as pro tection of fisheries, antipollution operations, sea rescue and, if necessary, the clearing of mines. In late 1984 the Belgian Navy assisted the British and French navies in removing radioactive material from a cargo vessel that had accidentally sunk in the North Sea.

The navy had approximately 4,550 personnel in 1984, of which about one-quarter were conscripted. As in the other services, their organization is based on three functions: operations, training, and logistics. Naval ships are stationed in the ports of Oostende, Zeebrugge, and Kalloo. The combined Belgian-Dutch Anti-Mine Warfare School is located in Oostende.

To fulfill its mission, the navy assigned a number of vessels to NATO. In 1984 these included seven ocean-minehunter/sweepers, six coastal minesweepers, and 14 shallow-water minesweepers. Two ships, the Godetia and the Zinnia, have served as logistical and command-support ships. Four frigates armed with French-made Exocet ship-to-ship missiles and Sea Sparrow surface- to-air missiles have been available to protect merchant vessels against submarine threats. In addition to the main fleet, a number of smaller ships have been assigned to specific tasks, such as oceanographic study, river patrols, and ammunition and water transport. Three Alouette III helicopters were used as well.

The Belgian Navy, which was not more than a small coastal defense force in 1947, received 7 ocean mine sweepers and morethan 30 coastal and in shore mine sweepers that provided them with the nucleus of their fleet through the 1970s, with 17 of those ships still in active service in the late 1980s. Belgian Navy procurements in the 1970s and 1980s were mainly limited to support equipment for its frigates and minesweepers and participation in the 10 nation NATO SEASPARROW (RIM-7H/M) missile consortium which Belgium joined in 1970.

The Belgian Navy, smallest in NATO at approximately 4,500 men, consisted in 1987 of four AAW frigates and a mix of about 30 mine warfare hunters and sweepers, the majority of which were assigned full time to NATO's CINCHAN for the defense of the sea approaches to Western Europe. Despite its small navy, Belgium deployed two minesweepers anda support ship to the Persian Gulf for mine clearance operations in September 1987.

The Modernisation Plan 2000–2015 Of The Belgian Armed Forces is based on a strategic reflection called VISION 2015, that was initiated in 1997. The operational characteristics of the new 2015 Force structure will be more readily available, flexible, modular, sustainable, deployable, effective and fully equipped and manned units. The naval component will be see the replacement of its frigates by multi-role escort ships, the upgrade of its mine hunters and the introduction of a strategic transport ship.

TypeOrigin 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012 2015 2020 2025
Multipurpose frigates ... ... ... 3... ... ... ... ...
Cost patrol boats ... ... ... 1... ... ... ... ...
Mine layers (under construction: 2002—2005) ... ... ... 4... ... ... ... ...
Mine hunters ... ... ... 7... ... ... ... ...
Supply ships ... ... ... 2... ... ... ... ...
Tow boats ... ... ... 4... ... ... ... ...
Oceanographic vessel ... ... ... 1... ... ... ... ...
Training vessel ... ... ... 1... ... ... ... ...
Helicopters (Alouette III) ... ... ... 3... ... ... ... ...




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