Belgium: The defense budget lacks transparency

UPDATE The Ministry of Defence has made progress in its budget presentation, but did not sufficiently take into account the comments made by the Court of Auditors considers this institution in its comments on the section devoted to the defense in the draft 2013 budget of the Federal Government.

The Court has repeatedly stated in previous reports, that the distribution of the appropriations entered in this section "does not match the standards of budget programs", which aims to bind the loans granted by parliament - 2710000000 euros this year for defense - specific objectives.

Minimal changes

These observations led Defence to "make a number of changes in the presentation of the initial budget of the year 2012, recognized by the Court of Auditors - by opening a" nation assistance "to" isolate tasks that are not specifically military missions. "Similarly, the department has" broken "part of the appropriations staff in several programs budget."

But these changes did however reach a "limited", so that the earlier remarks "remain current in their entirety," said the Court of Auditors.

Fuzzy

It therefore considers that the allocation of funds for basic allowances practiced by the Defence "offers an image of insufficient allocation needs" department. This note focuses on personnel costs referred to as "subsistence" (salaries and allowances of military and civilian personnel) and operation - for amounts of € 172.8 million covering "costs varied between seemingly unrelated them "and 42.2 million. This represents 36.5% of the total operating costs of the department.

BELGIUM A plan to restore balance to the Army Language

    The Working Group of the House for two years on board the "linguistic balance" within the army on Wednesday approved, majority against opposition (who abstained), recommendations asking "tend towards equilibrium "between the French and Dutch officers to the highest positions in the military hierarchy. For the FDF, it does nothing to change the situation.

    These recommendations made by the majority, but deemed insufficient by the FDF and exaggerated by the Vlaams Belang and the N-VA, is the requirement of increased consolidation efforts between the two linguistic roles "as well in the lower grades and above "and in international organizations.

    The Working Group also considers that the Defence must generally "continue to strive for (a division of) 60% of Dutch soldiers and 40% of French military" - which is the size of the two communities.

    "For officers, the knowledge of both national languages ​​must remain a basic requirement to enter into consideration for promotion to a higher grade," added the recommendations, which also advocated strengthening the learning of both national languages "so immersive."

    The Working Group recommends that, wherever possible, a "gradual appreciation" of the bilingualism bonus for all categories of military personnel.

    The defense minister also asked to report on the situation each year, as stipulated in a 1938 law on the use of languages ​​in the army to allow the House to "continue to follow transparent and constructive manner the evolution of language distribution in the army. "

    These recommendations will now be forwarded to the Defence Committee for approval, then to the plenary of the House. "There is an agreement not to reopen the debate" at both levels, said MP George Dallemagne (CDH), causing a release in the work of the working group.

Belgium wants to allow private guards. Unions reluctant military

The project of the Belgian government to allow private military companies on board merchant vessels transiting the national Indian Ocean does not raise the accession of all the military and some questions from MPs. " The government has put the finger in a gear that will be very dangerous and problematic, despite the strict measures that have been taken , "says the union and military defense CGSP (socialist).They fear that once approved, these private companies become economically indispensable, even if piracy disappeared from the Somali coast. With budget cuts in the naval component of the army, " the next government will have no choice but to extend authorizations (private guards) , and even multiply . "Ultimately, it is feared that the CGSP budgetary difficulties constitute an argument against the involvement of the Belgian defense in anti-piracy, as is now the Louise-Marie off the Indian Ocean .

One team turned military since 2009

While the government has proposed to merchant ships to embark a team of military protection board VPD ( Vessel Protection Detachments ). But three years ago, this possibility has not been activated once. it is true that a certain cost to shipowners - 115,000 euros - and they prefer to use the services of private companies. For Defence Minister Pieter De Crem (CD & V, Flemish Christian Democrat, the problem is budgetary priorities ... and as he said in a response to Georges Dallemagne, Senator CDH (Francophone Christian Democrats) early November. " Unlike the French defense, we do not have equipment, weapons and ammunition in the areas concerned. transport by air and therefore costly Belgian shipowners require to be able to call security companies private. "

1200th F-16 rolls out SABCA's Flight Line

F-16 Aircraft Depot-Level MRO : S.A.B.C.A. (Charleroi Belgium) delivers its 1200th F-16.

Last Monday, like several times a month, the S.A.B.C.A. flight line crew succesfully delivered an F16 aircraft to one of its customer Air Forces :  this time the Belgian Air Component  received back a single-seater F-16, freshly upgraded by the highly skilled technicians of the company to the latest M5 Avionics standards.

"Business as usual" for these people who already proceeded with 29 similar deliveries since the beginning of the year... with the noticeable difference that this A/C was exactly the 1200th F-16 to roll out S.A.B.C.A.'s flight Line since 26 january 1979, when the very first production F-16 was delivered to the Belgian Air Force.

S.A.B.C.A. started its common history with the F-16 more than 30 years ago, by the assembly and in-flight delivery of 222 new F-16 A/C, on behalf of three different end-users.

First Flight of Belgian NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter

NHIndustries (NHI) is proud to announce the first flight of the first NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter ordered by the Belgian armed forces. For this first flight, performed on Sept 18th from Marignane, the crew tested all the main systems of this new-generation aircraft such as the engines and the flight controls. After landing, the crew expressed its satisfaction with the behaviour of the helicopter. The Belgian armed forces ordered eight NH90s, four TTHs for tactical transport operations and four NFHs for naval operations.

The Belgian NH90 TTH is a Full Operational Capability standard helicopter. This aircraft is very close to the French NH90 Caiman TTH for which deliveries started in the end of 2011 in Full Operational Capability Standard. This commonality brings to the Belgian customer all the return of experience collected during the development of the French NH90 TTH.

“This first flight is an important milestone for NHI since it marks the arrival of a new comer in the NH90 users community, we are all impressed by the degree of maturity demonstrated by this helicopter” declared Xavier Poupardin, delegated managing director of NHI.

The NH90 TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) variant is a helicopter of 11 ton class primarily configured to perform tactical transport missions in all environments by day and night. The NH90TTH flexibility allows its users to perform additional missions such as internal/external load transport, Heliborne Operations, Special Operations, Search and Rescue, Casualties Evacuation and Training missions.

Afghanistan: transfer of authority from the French camp on the basis of Kandahar Airfield

On 6 September 2012, responsibility for the Kandahar Airfield area occupied by the French detachment was sent to the Belgian detachment OGF 12-05 (Operation Guarding Falcon).

This transfer of authority ceremony was chaired by Lieutenant Colonel Stanghellini, commanding the detachment at Kandahar air, and Major Claisse, head of the Belgian detachment. During the ceremony, the French flag was lowered in order to make room for the Belgian flag. However, until the actual closing of the French air detachment in Kandahar, the two detachments - one French and one Belgian - will rub on the Kandahar base.

Belgium To End Kabul Airport Protection Mission

Belgium is ending its longest mission in Afghanistan, the protection of Kabul International Airport (KAIA), over the next few months. Starting in October, the mission will be taken over by a multinational unit under French command and including Portuguese, Hungarian and Albanian troops.

 

Belgium has been conducting the mission with around 250 troops since the beginning of 2003.

F-16 fleet will soon again 54 aircraft operational

 Thursday afternoon, a Belgian F-16 crashed near the airbase Kleine-Brogel in Limburg after a collision with a bird. This incident did not disrupt overseas extent the organization of the army air unit so far since "cocooning" is coming to replace it. This was said Major General Claude Van De Voorde Friday.

    The fleet of F-16 of the Belgian army no longer than 53 aircraft on Friday after the plane crash yesterday.

    Ten collisions with birds (bird strike) are identified each year by the Belgian army, usually without gravity.

Belgium chooses the American Javelin missile to replace French antitank missile

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency of United States notified Congress Aug. 3 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Belgium for 240 Block I Javelin Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $88 million.

SLP 12 ga. 3" Shotgun FN Herstal Belgium

SLP 12 ga. 3" Shotgun

FN Herstal - Belgium

The Self-Loading Police Shotgun guarantees soft recoil and reliability of a gas-operated auto-loading action. This shotgun has also the exclusive speed loading feature made popular by John M. Browning's famous Auto-5.

The ghost-type sights with tritium inserts allow a better and quicker acquisition of the target.     

They are mounted on a Picatinny rail, allowing the installation of other types of sights should the mission require it.    

Specifications

Calibre:	12 ga. 3"
Operating principle:	Gas operated, semi-automatic
Overall length:	984mm (38.75")
Weight (empty magazine):	3,490 kg (7.7 lbs)
Barrel length:	457mm (18")
Rail:	Picatinny
Buttstock type:	Synthetic and fixed
Magazine capacity:	7 (2" 3/4) or 6 (3") rounds
Sight:	Front sight & ghost ring sight (tritium)
Finish:	Matt finishing on barrel,receiver & bolt