Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Cros announced at a press conference on January 27, 2023 that the Belgian government has allocated the largest package of military assistance to Ukraine so far totaling 90 million euros. He also said that since February 24, 2022, Belgium has already provided Ukraine with military aid totaling 146 million euros, and humanitarian aid in the amount of 86 million euros.
Iveco LMV light armored vehicles of the Belgian Army, equipped with remotely controlled combat modules (c) Army of BelgiumAccording to the publications of the Belgian media, the new package of military assistance to Ukraine will include a significant amount of weapons and equipment from the presence of the Belgian armed forces, including:
- an unnamed number of Raytheon AIM-120A AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles for use as anti-aircraft missiles as part of NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems;
- an unnamed number of portable (portable) Mistral anti-aircraft missile systems;
- 80 Iveco LMV light armored vehicles (4x4);
- 150 Volvo N10 trucks (6x4);
- 4000 automatic rifles of 5.56 mm caliber (presumably FN SCAR);
- 120 40 mm grenade launchers for rifles;
- 1000 FN Minimi hand machine guns of 5.56 mm caliber (possibly new production);
- 1000 FN M2NV 12.7 mm machine guns (possibly new production);
- 1500 disposable M72 hand grenade launchers;
- various ammunition for small arms.
Belgium will thus become the third supplier of Iveco LMV armored vehicles to the armed forces of Ukraine after Italy and Norway. Recall that Belgium purchased 437 Iveco LMV vehicles under a 2005 contract, but after 2010, the Belgians discovered cracks in the chassis, and then in the roof reservation of 120 Iveco LMV vehicles of SPS and RPK variants equipped with remotely controlled armament modules and mounted armor, which increased the weight of the vehicle, which was not provided by the manufacturer. As a result, in 2019, a quarter of the fleet of Belgian LMVs were in storage due to these cracks. In addition, in the Belgian Armed forces, Iveco LMV armored vehicles were constantly criticized for time-consuming and expensive maintenance. As a result, in 2016 it was decided to write off most of the machines (with the exception of 80-90 units) of the Iveco LMV by 2026. To replace them, the Belgian Ministry of Defense in 2020, under the Commando en Liaison Voertuigen (CLV) program, ordered 322 American Oshkosh JLTV light armored vehicles, with deliveries starting in 2023.
It is reported that of the 38 Belgian LMV cars planned for transfer to Ukraine, the first 42 should be transferred in February, and the remaining 38 - only after repair by August 2023.
Volvo N10 (6x4) trucks of local Belgian assembly were supplied to the Belgian armed forces in the 1980s and early 1990s in a total of 1,200 units. The cars have been decommissioned for several years, and in 2022 they began to be actively replaced in Belgium by the purchased new DAF CF (4x4) military trucks (actually performed on the Tatra chassis), the final write-off of the Volvo N10 is planned by 2030.
Volvo N10 (6x4) truck of the Belgian Army (c) Ministry of Defense of Belgium
