Belgium and Netherlands Jointly Procure NASAMS Air-Defence Systems
Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken announced on 15 October, that Belgium will sign an agreement with the Netherlands to acquire the Norwegian Kongsberg NASAMS air-defence system jointly. He said NASAMS would be procured “to protect our skies” as part of Belgium’s new Strategic Defence Vision for a multi-layered air-defence network.
The order covers 10 NASAMS batteries under the agreement (9 for Belgian airspace defense and 1 for Luxembourg). Norway’s Kongsberg builds these launchers and form a coherent package of radars, launchers and command posts. The total deal is reported to cost approximately $2.5 billion for the systems and reflects the high-end performance of NASAMS. Francken stated that Belgium will speed up the purchase so the new air-defense batteries can be operational by March 2026.
NASAMS is a proven medium-range surface-to-air system that uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile with advanced radar and networking capabilities. It has shown very high effectiveness (on the order of 90%+ intercept probability) in tests against incoming aerial threats. Deploying NASAMS will help Belgium fill gaps in its air defense coverage and deter threats like hostile drones or cruise missiles.
The timing of the deal lines up with broader NATO and EU air-defence initiatives. Belgium has offered to contribute fighter patrols and drone capabilities to NATO’s new “Eastern Sentry” mission – launched in September 2025 to bolster the Alliance’s eastern flank after multiple airspace incursions. Similarly, several European nations are pushing a collective air-shield approach to improve medium-range defense. The Belgian–Dutch NASAMS purchase thus represents both national and multilateral security planning: by pooling resources with the Netherlands, the countries advance NATO goals of a layered, integrated European air-defence network.
This landmark procurement significantly upgrades Belgian and regional air defenses. If deliveries proceed as planned, the first NASAMS batteries should come online by early 2026. Officials emphasize that the investment is necessary to counter modern airborne threats. As Francken put it, the goal is nothing less than “protecting our skies” – a mission now shared with neighboring allies under NATO’s broader defense umbrella.