Signing of the Declaration of Intent concerning the location of the Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion

This signature is a further step towards the establishment of a bi-national Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion. The core of the future battalion will be located in Arlon (BEL) by 2030, with a branch in Diekirch (LUX) and a second branch in Marche-en-Famenne (BEL). The battalion, with more than 700 personnel, should be equipped with various specialised reconnaissance vehicles capable of interoperating with the equipment of the CaMo (motorised capability) programme currently being acquired by the Belgian Defence.

Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium: "Today's signature is a further demonstration of our common will to effectively contribute to European Defence. The bi-national battalion and its branches will be located in refurbished facilities in Arlon, Diekirch and Marche-en-Famenne. This new cooperation with Luxembourg is a logical continuation of other partnerships developed over the years, such as the BNU A400M bi-national unit which manages the joint fleet of 8 A400M aircraft or joint deployments of our troops.”

François Bausch Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: "With the signing of this new Declaration of Intent, the exemplary cooperation between Belgium and Luxembourg in the field of defence opens a new chapter. The creation of this bi-national battalion will serve as a reference cooperation project at European level to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our armed forces. It will also increase interoperability between our armies, which has become even more important at NATO level since the events in Ukraine. The battalion will also generate additional cooperation opportunities between our two countries and at the European level, thus contributing to a stronger Alliance and European Union."