Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, pictured with members of the Benelux detachment;
Credit: BEL Defence/Gert-Jan D'haene
On Tuesday 1 April 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, her Belgian counterpart, Defence Minister Theo Francken, and the Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army, General Steve Thull, attended the departure ceremony in Luxembourg for members of the Benelux detachment participating in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR).
As reported by Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence, the Benelux "Air Surveillance" Detachment, led by the Luxembourg Army, comprises a total of thirteen personnel, including seven from Luxembourg, five from Belgium and one from the Netherlands. This fully interoperable detachment's mission is to contribute to the collection of information and intelligence through aerial surveillance (drones).
The Benelux detachment will be integrated into the Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Battalion (ISR BN). This battalion is part of one of the subordinate units of the KFOR command and is the focal point tasked with synchronising the various ISR capabilities deployed for the mission.
"This is the first time in history that the Luxembourg Army has taken the lead on such a joint mission. This demonstrates how much our army has matured in recent years," emphasised Minister Backes, adding: "This Benelux detachment is emblematic of the closer defence cooperation to which we aspire."
Since 1999, the Luxembourg Army has helped maintain a safe and secure environment and preserve freedom of movement for the entire population and communities in Kosovo. From 1999 to 2017, the army deployed contingents to Kosovo, first integrated into Belgian and then French contingents, and finally, from March 2011, directly subordinated to KFOR headquarters. During the eighteen years of Luxembourg's participation, almost 1,200 soldiers were deployed in 52 rotations.
