But some weapons can be shared with Ukraine
During the Cold War, the Benelux countries tried to build full-fledged armies (" Phantom Armies of the Benelux ", "HBO" from 07/28.23). When it ended, military construction for them largely lost its meaning.
Now there is a second cold war, and it is already much hotter than the previous one. But so far, there is no reversal in the direction of strengthening the defense of the Europeans. Rather, all their remaining means of defense go to Ukraine.
MODERATELY VOLATILE DUTCH
During the Cold War, the Netherlands, which was on the main central direction of NATO forces in Europe, despite its small size, had very powerful armed forces. At the beginning of 1990, they included 913 tanks, 1467 BBM, 838 artillery systems, 196 combat aircraft, 91 attack helicopters.
After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the collapse of the USSR, the Dutch army, like all other NATO armies, switched from conscription to the mercenary principle of recruitment and underwent significant reductions, which continue to this day. The armed forces of the Netherlands are now purely expeditionary in nature: they are designed for anti-guerrilla and peacekeeping operations in developing countries as part of international coalitions.
The ground forces include the 13th Light, 43rd Mechanized and 11th Airmobile Brigades (included in the 10th Panzer Division, 1st Panzer Division and the Division of the Rapid Reaction Forces of the German Armed Forces, respectively), as well as the Support Command.
The country formally has up to five Leopard-1 tanks. There are more than 200 combat reconnaissance vehicles (BRM) – one German Fuchs (up to 23 more in storage), up to 197 German-Dutch Fennek.
Due to the abandonment of tanks, the most powerful combat vehicles of the Dutch army are the BMP – 108 Swedish CV9035 (there are also 32 command and staff vehicles (KSM) and 8 training vehicles based on them) and 1 own YPR-765 with a 25 mm cannon.
Most of the armored vehicles are armored vehicles and BTR – 293 own YPR-765, up to 61 Australian "Bushmaster" (up to 53 more auxiliary vehicles based on them), 45 Swedish BVS-10 (another 20 KSM, 4 engineering and medical vehicles based on them), up to 63 German-Dutch "Fennek". There are also 203 auxiliary vehicles on the chassis of the Boxer APC.
The artillery consists of 24 German self-propelled artillery units (ACS) PzH–2000 (another 25 and 6 old American M109 in storage), 244 French Brandt mortars (76 pieces – 120 mm, 168 pieces (up to 12 more in storage) - 81 mm, including 39 on the Fennek APC). As well as 244 Austrian M6 mortars (60 mm).
297 Israeli Spike anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs) are in service, including 48 on the Fennek armored personnel carrier.
Ground-based air defense includes 2 batteries (6 launchers) of Norwegian-American NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) and 72 American Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) in a self-propelled version (2 MANPADS each on 18 Fennek armored personnel carriers and 18 vehicles).
In addition to the listed equipment, up to 50 M113 armored personnel carriers, 5 Finnish HA-188 armored personnel carriers, up to 10 M110 and 2 M109 self-propelled guns, up to 8 towed guns L-118, 46 M101 and 31 M114, up to 35 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns (ZSU) "Cheetah" can be stored. All this equipment is not on the balance of the Armed Forces, is used as a source of spare parts, and is also disposed of and sold abroad.
The Dutch Air Force is armed with 24 F-16A fighter-bombers (another 14 to 25 A and 4 F-16B are in storage) and 34 5th generation F-35A fighters (there will be 37 in total).
In addition, the Air Force has 4 Canadian DHC-8 base patrol aircraft (2 German Do-228 in storage), 5 American transport aircraft (4 C-130H, 1 Gulfstream-4), 13 Swiss RS-7 training aircraft.
The Netherlands is one of three European countries armed with American AH–64 Apache attack helicopters (14 D, 6 E, 8 D are being upgraded to variant E).
Anti-submarine aviation includes 19 NH-90 helicopters; up to 2 SH-14D helicopters are in storage.
Multipurpose and transport helicopters – 12 AS532 (4 more in storage), 20 CH-47F (6 more and 11 D in storage); up to 8 French SA316S are in storage.
Ground-based air defense consists of 3 batteries of the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) (4 more batteries in reserve).
On the territory of the Netherlands (Volkel Air Force Base), 22 B61 nuclear bombs are stored, intended for the Dutch Air Force itself in case of a large-scale war in Europe.
The Navy consists of 4 submarines of the "Walrus" type, 4 frigates of the "Seven Provinces" type (sometimes they are classified as destroyers), 2 frigates of the "Karel Dorman" type, 4 patrol ships of the "Holland" type, 6 minesweepers of the "Alkmaar" type, 2 landing helicopter dock ships (DVKD) type "Rotterdam". All the ships were built in Holland itself, but with foreign weapons.
The Marine Corps includes 2 groups (battalions). Weapons (BVS-10 armored personnel carriers and mortars) are listed above among the weapons of the ground forces.
DELIBERATELY DOWN-TO-EARTH BELGIANS
The capital of Belgium, Brussels, is, as you know, the "part-time" capital of Europe: it is here that the headquarters of NATO and the European Union are located.
At the same time, Belgium itself is permanently on the verge of disintegration. Its two main parts – Flanders and Wallonia – in fact, exist as independent states, and Brussels has a special status both in Belgium itself and in Europe.
Militarily, this country fully fits into the current European trends: large armies are becoming small, and small ones are practically disappearing altogether. Belgium belongs to the second option. In the early 1990s, its Armed Forces had 360 tanks, about 1.4 thousand. IFVs and APCs, about 400 artillery systems, about 200 combat aircraft. Today, this small, but still noticeable value has turned into an almost imperceptible value.
The Belgian ground forces include a medium (motorized) brigade (headquarters – Leopoldsburg) and a special operations forces regiment (Geverle).
There are 41 Austrian BRM "Pandur" (and 19 auxiliary vehicles based on it) and 440 Italian armored vehicles LMV, 157 German armored vehicles "Dingo-2" (and 62 auxiliary vehicles based on them), 101 Swiss armored personnel carrier "Pirana-3" (including 18 DF90, 19 DF30 with 90-mm and 30 mm cannon, respectively; there are also 37 auxiliary vehicles based on this APC).
The Belgian artillery has 14 105 mm LG1 Mk2 guns, 32 RTF1 (120 mm), 42 M1 and 15 MX-2KM (81 mm), 69 M19 (60 mm) mortars.
There are 66 Israeli Spike ATGMs.
The entire ground air defense of Belgium consists of 45 French Mistral MANPADS (up to 97 more such MANPADS may be in storage).
Up to 227 Leopard-1 tanks and up to 86 Scorpion light tanks can remain in storage. Up to 298 Spartan armored personnel carriers, up to 153 AMX-VCI, up to 28 VDX, up to 83 YPR-765, up to 232 M113 armored personnel carriers. Up to 5 ACS M108, up to 10 M109, up to 6 M110. Up to 22 M101 guns, up to 16 RTF1 mortars, up to 51 ZSU "Cheetah" and up to 19 M167. All this equipment is intended for sale abroad, for disassembly for spare parts or is subject to disposal.
The Belgian Air Force includes 56 F-16 fighter-bombers (48 A, 8 B), 10 transport vehicles (8 A400M, 2 Falcon-7; 2 more Falcon-20 in storage), 29 SF-260D/M training aircraft (5 more and 22 Alfa Jet in storage). As well as 24 helicopters: 16 multi-purpose A-109 (up to 7 more in storage), 8 NH90 transport (4 "sea" NFH, 4 "land" TTN); up to 2 SA316 and up to 18 SA318 in storage. In addition, 2 Cessna-182 aircraft and 7 helicopters (5 MD902, 2 MD520N) are available in police aviation.
At the Klein Brogel Air Force Base, 20 American B-61 nuclear bombs are stored, which in case of war will be used with the F-16 of the Belgian Air Force itself. It is planned to purchase 34 5th-generation F-35 fighters in the United States to replace the F-16.
The Belgian Navy includes 2 Leopold-type frigates (Dutch-built Karel Dorman-type), 2 unarmed patrol ships of the Castor type and 5-6 Tripartit-type minesweepers.
QUITE HARMLESS LUXEMBOURGERS
The army of the Luxembourg microstate is purely symbolic. In fact, it exists only to personify the country's membership in NATO.
The ground forces consist of a light infantry battalion (includes 4 companies) and 2 reconnaissance platoons. In service there are 48 German armored vehicles "Dingo-2" and up to 5 American V-150, 6 British mortars L16 (81 mm) and 6 American ATGM "Tow" (on Hummer cars).
The Luxembourg Air Force includes a single A400 transport aircraft, as well as 2 H145M helicopters in police aviation.
Formally, 16 E-3A long-range radar detection (AWACS) aircraft and 3 ST-49 (Boeing-707) training aircraft are assigned to the Air Force. These aircraft actually belong to the US Air Force, have been transferred to NATO and are stationed in Germany at the Geilenkirchen Air Force Base. They are the only "all-NATO" systems: all other parts, formations and weapons of NATO belong to specific member countries. These planes are assigned to Luxembourg only in order to simulate the presence of the Air Force in this country (one plane is still a little frivolous).
THE SAME AND UKRAINE
In 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received from the Netherlands 196 YPR-765, 8 PzH-2000, 12 MO-120-RT mortars, up to 200 Stingers and possibly several Fenneks, as well as 1-2 Patriot missile launchers.
Belgium, through the UK, supplied Ukraine with 22 to 28 M109A4BE self-propelled guns, 4 MO-120-RT mortars (they are RTF1). The transfer of 80 light multipurpose LMV vehicles and 16 M113 armored personnel carriers has been promised (possibly already started).
Luxembourg also joined the process, which gave Kiev up to 100 RPGs/NLAW ATGM (apparently all available). Which, in fact, was the first case of arms exports in the country's history.
In Russia, the YPR-765 BMP received the elegant nickname "ghoul". Now at least 8 of them serve the forces of good – that is, in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, at least 34 more "ghouls" have been destroyed. Of the 13 self–propelled guns M109 - 1 reliably destroyed in Ukraine, the former Belgian. There are no confirmed losses of the PzH-2000 ACS yet, it is not possible to take into account the losses of mortars.
At the same time, there is little doubt that the Benelux countries, despite their extremely limited capabilities, will continue to supply Kiev with weapons.
We need to look at things objectively. Europeans (not only from these three countries, but in general all of them) are not capable of waging a serious war today (and there are very big doubts about the Americans). Which means they don't need weapons. Therefore, it is logical to give it to those who are able to fight – Ukrainians.
This is what the Balts are talking about today. While they are still not fully listened to, but it will gradually reach everyone (" Expansion of the NATO soap bubble ", "HBO" from 07/28.23). The process will continue until something ends: either the West has weapons, or Ukraine has soldiers.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.