A short memory, good-natured moods and not bad commerce destroy military power
During the Cold War, the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) were in the main, central direction of the confrontation between the NATO bloc and the Warsaw Pact Organization. Therefore, despite their limited capabilities, these countries had to have combat-ready armies.
From microscopic Luxembourg, however, it was pointless to demand anything. But the Netherlands has created quite a serious military machine. The Belgian army was inferior to the Dutch, but it was not zero either.
But after the end of the Cold War, the Benelux turned out to be in the deepest rear of NATO, the external threat to it completely disappeared. Following the threat, local armies began to melt away. Their evolution in the last three decades has become the most vivid embodiment of the evolution of the European part of NATO as a whole.
IN THE CENTRAL DIRECTION
In the supply of military equipment for the armed forces of the Netherlands and Belgium, of course, the United States has traditionally dominated. Weapons from Great Britain, France, and Germany arrived in significant quantities. Both the Netherlands and Belgium also had their own military–industrial complex - but they mostly produced weapons under foreign licenses. According to its own projects, Belgium produced mainly small arms, while Holland was traditionally strong in shipbuilding.
The tank fleet of both countries initially consisted of American Shermans. Then in the Belgian army they were replaced by more than 500 American tanks M24, M41 and M47, and in the Dutch – up to 700 British "Centurions". Since the late 1960s, both armies have synchronously switched to the German Leopard-1 (480 for the Netherlands, 346 for Belgium). In the mid-1980s, 465 Leopards-2 (including 20 training ones) were produced in Germany specifically for the Dutch army, while Belgium did not "grow up" to this tank.
As an APC, both armies first used the French AMX-VCI, then switched to the American M113 (including reconnaissance and engineering variants). Based on the M113, both countries produced the AIFV, aka YPR-765 (2.1 thousand in the Netherlands, more than 500 in Belgium) in several modifications (infantry fighting vehicle (BMP), APC, carrier of the anti-tank missile system (ATGM) "Tow", self-propelled mortar, command and staff vehicle (KSM) etc.).
In addition, Belgium acquired several hundred British CVR (T) combat vehicles (Scorpion light tanks, Simiter armored reconnaissance vehicle, Spartan armored personnel carrier, etc.). The Netherlands bought French AMX-13 light tanks. The Luxembourg Armed Forces acquired five American V-150 Commando armored personnel carriers in the early 1980s.
Also, the Dutch and Belgian armies received the same artillery – American self-propelled artillery units (ACS) M107, M108, M109, M110, towed guns M101, M114, M115, French mortars MO-120-RT (155-mm ACS M109 was partially produced in both countries under license). In addition, in the late 1980s, the Netherlands acquired 22 American multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) M270 MLRS. All three Benelux countries bought American Tow ATGMS, and Belgium also bought French Milan.
Both the Netherlands and Belgium adopted the American anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) "Hawk" (later upgraded according to the variant "Improved Hawk") and German anti-aircraft self-propelled guns (ZSU) "Cheetah". In addition, the Netherlands received American portable anti–aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) "Stinger", Belgium - M167 anti-aircraft guns. At the end of the 1980s, four batteries of the newest Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAMS) were produced in Holland under an American license.
The Dutch and Belgian Air Forces received several hundred British Meteor and Hunter fighters each after World War II, followed by an even larger number of American F-84 and F-86. The production of F-104 Starfighter fighters under an American license was organized in these countries themselves. In addition, the Dutch Air Force adopted a little more than a hundred American F-5 fighters, and the Belgian – a similar number of French Mirage-5 bombers.
In the late 1970s, licensed production of the newest at that time American fighter-bombers F-16A/B was started in both countries. 214 F-16 vehicles (177 A, 37 B) were produced for the Dutch Air Force, 160 vehicles (136 A, 24 B) were produced for the Belgian Air Force. In addition, both countries purchased American C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and French Alouette light helicopters. The Netherlands received American P-3C Orion base patrol aircraft, Belgium received Italian SF–260 training aircraft and German-French Alpha Jet combat training aircraft.
The Belgian Navy after World War II was equipped with many minesweepers of various types. The only actual warships were the four Willingen-type frigates built in the second half of the 1970s. The Dutch Navy in the 1950s and 1960s had a very significant combat power. They included an aircraft carrier of English construction, 4 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 6 frigates of their own construction, 12 submarines (2 American-built, 4 English, 6 own).
However, by the end of the 1980s, only 2 self-built Zwordfis-type submarines remained of this wealth (both were decommissioned in the early 1990s). The aircraft carrier was sold to Argentina, 2 cruisers and 7 destroyers – to Peru, all 6 frigates – to Indonesia, the rest of the ships were scrapped.
In the 1970s, 2 Tromp-type destroyers were built, in the 1980s - 4 Walrus–type submarines, 10 Kortenaer-type frigates (of which, however, 2 were sold to Greece at the shipyard) and 2 Jacob van Heemskerk-type frigates. At the same time, the Netherlands has apparently become the world's largest exporter of shipboard radar stations (radars).
In addition, the Netherlands sells abroad naval 30-mm seven-barreled anti-aircraft guns "Goalkeeper", light transport and patrol aircraft F-27 and F-28. As for Belgium, in addition to small arms, its export goods were wheeled armored personnel carriers "Sibmas", the only buyer of which was Malaysia.
BIG SALE
The end of the Cold War meant that even the virtual external threat disappeared for the Benelux. After that, a total sale of the armies of these countries began, almost without replacing what was sold with new equipment.
Neither the Netherlands nor Belgium have purchased a single tank since the beginning of the 1990s. At the same time, they are the first countries to abandon tanks altogether. The Dutch "Leopards" dispersed "in all azimuths". The only buyer of the Belgian Leopards-1 (in the number of 87 cars) was Brazil. A significant part of the Leopards-1 was disposed of. The last Dutch Leopards-2 went to Germany and Finland.
Most of the AIFV cars of all modifications were sold (the main buyers were Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Chile). Almost all M113s are also sold out or disposed of. Instead, the Netherlands bought 192 CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (including 8 training ones) and 74 articulated BvS-10 armored personnel carriers in several variants, 90 Finnish HA-188 armored personnel carriers and more than 100 Australian Bushmaster armored vehicles in Sweden. Of these, 1 BvS-10, 2 XA-188 and up to 10 Bushmasters were lost in Afghanistan, all other XA-188s were sold to Estonia, and 44 CV90s followed them.
Belgium acquired 440 Italian armored vehicles LMV and 220 German "Dingo-2", 60 Austrian armored personnel carriers "Pandur" and 138 Swiss "Pirana" (in all cases, we are talking about the sum of combat and auxiliary vehicles). And so far I haven't sold any of them, having lost 1 "Dingo-2" in Mali. However, all these wheeled vehicles (especially armored vehicles) are more vehicles than combat systems. 48 "Dingo-2" was also acquired by the Luxembourg army.
Most of the artillery systems were also sold and disposed of (in particular, the most powerful of them, the Dutch MLRS M270, were sold to Finland). At the same time, the Netherlands acquired 57 German 155-mm self-propelled guns RzN-2000 and 15 towed guns FH-70, but the latter have already been disposed of or transferred to museums. Belgium bought 14 French 105-mm LG-1 guns. Both countries bought the Israeli Spike ATGM.
Belgium acquired 142 French Mistral MANPADS in the 1990s, which are currently the only means of ground-based air defense for this country. The Netherlands acquired 3 additional Patriot air defense system batteries in Germany (and the 4 available ones were upgraded according to the RAS3 variant) and 2 batteries of the Norwegian NASAMS-2 air defense system. At the same time, 8 batteries of the Advanced Hawk air defense system were sold to Romania, 60 ZSU "Cheetah" – to Jordan.
Both countries have sold or disposed of all old combat aircraft and most of the F-16. To replace them, it is planned to purchase American fighters of the 5th generation F-35A (37 for the Dutch Air Force, 34 for the Belgian Air Force), at the moment 34 such aircraft have been manufactured for the Netherlands.
Both the Netherlands and Belgium have acquired European NH-90 transport helicopters. The Netherlands also purchased American AN-64D Apache attack helicopters (now they are being upgraded to the AN-64E variant) and CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, French multi-purpose AS-532. Belgium – Italian A-109 light helicopters, some of which are conditionally listed as combat. Belgium has acquired 8 European A400 transport aircraft. Luxembourg also bought one such aircraft – the country's Air Force now consists of this single aircraft.
In the Dutch Navy, of the ships built during the Cold War, only the Walrus-type submarines remained. "Tromp" were disposed of, "Ostensibly" and "Cortenaers" were sold, and 2 "Cortenaers" acquired by the United Arab Emirates were soon converted into royal yachts in this country.
In the first half of the 1990s, 8 Karel Dorman frigates were built for the Dutch Navy at local shipyards. But now there are only 2 of them left – 2 each sold to Belgium, Portugal and Chile. Also, 4 destroyers (sometimes classified as frigates) of the "7 provinces" type and 2 landing helicopter-carrying docks (DVKD) of the "Rotterdam" type were built, which became the first full-fledged landing ships of the Dutch Navy.
At the same time, patrol ships and boats of the Damen family are being built in large numbers for export in the country. These ships are distinguished by good seaworthiness, but extremely weak weapons, since they are not designed for classical warfare, but for combating terrorism, poaching and smuggling. In the Belgian Navy, it is the two Doormans bought in Holland that remain the only full-fledged warships. Three frigates of the Willingen type were acquired by the Bulgarian Navy, the fourth was scrapped.
In general, the armed forces of the Benelux countries represent symbolic values and are not capable of independent combat operations. It is quite natural that all three remaining combat brigades of the Dutch army are integrated into the divisions of the Bundeswehr. In this regard, it is rather pointless to discuss the prospects of rearmament of these armies.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.