Belgium, Luxembourg to Set Up 1st Binational Reconnaissance Battalion by 2030

On Thursday 13 October 2022, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, François Bausch, and the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, Ludivine Dedonder, signed a Declaration of Intent concerning the location of the binational reconnaissance battalion.

This declaration is a further step towards the establishment of a Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion. The core of the future battalion will be located in Arlon in Belgium by 2030, with a branch in Diekirch in Luxembourg and a second branch in Marche-en-Famenne in Belgium. The battalion, with more than 700 personnel, will be equipped with various specialised reconnaissance vehicles capable of interoperating with the equipment of the CaMo (motorised capability) programme currently being acquired by the Belgian Defence.

Minister Dedonder said: "Today's signature is a further demonstration of our common will to effectively contribute to European Defence. The binational battalion and its branches will be located in refurbished facilities in Arlon, Diekirch and Marche-en-Famenne. This new cooperation with Luxembourg is a logical continuation of other partnerships developed over the years, such as the BNU A400M binational unit which manages the joint fleet of eight A400M aircraft or joint deployments of our troops."

Minister Bausch said: "With the signing of this new Declaration of Intent, the exemplary cooperation between Belgium and Luxembourg in the field of defence opens a new chapter. The creation of this binational battalion will serve as a reference cooperation project at European level to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our armed forces. It will also increase interoperability between our armies, which has become even more important at NATO level since the events in Ukraine. The battalion will also generate additional cooperation opportunities between our two countries and at the European level, thus contributing to a stronger Alliance and European Union."

The binational reconnaissance battalion will be jointly implemented and operated in three phases:

• Initial phase, focusing on Marche-en-Famenne for the Belgian part and Diekirch for the Luxembourg part with an initial integration in Marche-en-Famenne;
• Intermediate phase, marked by the gradual establishment of the binational reconnaissance battalion in Arlon and by the gradual activation of the facilities in Luxembourg;
• Final phase, marked by integration with Arlon as the centre and with a significant footprint in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

History

• On 31 August 2021, ministers Dedonder and Bausch signed a Letter of Intent for the creation of a Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion.
• On 25 January 2022, creation of the binational working group Ermesinde with the task of developing the concepts for the establishment and the joint operation of the future Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion.
• On 13 October 2022, signing of the Declaration of Intent regarding the implementation of the binational reconnaissance battalion.