Frankrijk zal via een akkoord met DGMR en DGA onder meer FN EVOLYS® en FN MINIMI®-mitrailleurs en munitie aankopen bij FN Herstal. Dit versterkt de Europese defensie-industrie en strategische autonomie. @BelgiumDefence

🚨 BREAKING at #Eurosatory2026: France chooses its sovereign successor to the LRU rocket system! Exit the US HIMARS or Indian Pinaka—industry sources reveal @MBDAGroup & @SafranElecDef have won the contract with their 150km-range Thundart system. Via @ForcesOperation 👇 forcesoperations.com/eurosat…

🇺🇦 A spokesperson from Cockerill confirmed to me at Eurosatory that the company has been contracted to deliver 30 C3105 turret to Ukraine to be mounted on the countries Leopard 1 main battle tanks. The first five systems will be delivered in June of 2027 with the remainder to be delivered by the end of 2027. It is currently not clear who is paying for this contract.

Oh look, it is my photo. Should have waited to post till I get back to the BnB so I could watermark them all.

Belgian gas shipper Exmar launches world's first oceangoing vessel powered by ammonia prez.ly/X2Id #Belga #FlandersNewsService #Shipping #Decarbonisation

Ramstein Flag ✈️🇧🇪 Together with 18 allies, our Air Force is taking part in a large-scale exercise deployed across Europe. During this exercise, we strengthen our collective readiness and refine our tactics to face current threats. Together, we are stronger 💪 📷Volders R.

Patrol vessel Castor has a new commanding officer. During a ceremony of the change of command in godfather city @dendermonde, captain Piccu-Van Speybrouck emphasized the strategic role of the Castor in the North Sea. Captain Sagaert looked back at the positive teamspirit on board

Me and my homies LOVE the C-135 series

Belgium will invest €3.7 billion in defence innovation between 2026 and 2035 through a new programme called ODIN, Defence minister Theo Francken announced prez.ly/ClId #Belga #Defence

New patches of the 350th sqn

🔧𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗹 Several F-16 shelters will be renovated in the coming months, enhancing aircraft protection on the ground while preparing for future F-35 infrastructure. 🛡️✈️🚧

Je leest tegenwoordig wel eens dat je om een land als België te verdedigen tegen luchtdreigingen maar een twaalftal 'eenvoudige' gevechtsvliegtuigen nodig zou hebben. Nonsens natuurlijk. Vanwaar komt dat dan? Wel, enkele Oost-Europese landen hebben na hun toetreding tot NAVO lange tijd een luchtmacht gehad van inderdaad maar 12 tot 16 'eenvoudige' gevechtstoestellen. Daarmee deden ze Peacetime Air Policing. Vredestijd luchtpolitie. Met de nadruk op vredestijd. Meer niet. Je moet ergens beginnen. Met als enige verplichting om binnen de 15 minuten met 2 toestellen op te kunnen stijgen. Niet om het land te verdedigen maar om overtredingen vast te stellen. Vredestijd, nietwaar. De fameuze QRA of Quick Reaction Alert. Waarom heb je voor zoiets eenvoudigs dan toch 12 tot 16 toestellen nodig? De meeste landen organiseren die QRA in shiften van 12 uur. Op weekbasis 14 shiften met telkens 2 piloten. Als iedere piloot 3 shiften per week doet (42-uren week met wat overlap bij begin/einde shift), dan heb je enkel daarvoor mathematisch al 9 tot 10 piloten nodig. Dat is zonder verloven, cursussen, stafwerk enz. Neem in de praktijk dus 12 tot 14 piloten. Maar je moet die piloten ook gevormd krijgen. Je hebt dus een opleidingseenheid nodig. Doe nog maar eens 4 instructeurs en 4 leerlingen. Minimaal 20 piloten in het totaal. Die moeten een minimum aantal uren vliegen om hun kwalificaties te halen en te behouden. Neem een absoluut minimum van 20x120 uur op jaarbasis. Om dat potentieel technisch te kunnen genereren heb je minimaal 12 vliegtuigen nodig. In de praktijk eerder 15. En dan doe je dus enkel Peacetime Air Policing. Vredestijd politietaken in de lucht. Luchtverdediging in tijden van crisis en oorlog is iets gans anders, met veel grotere behoeften. Die Oost-Europese landen waarvan eerder sprake zijn daarom momenteel massaal (geavanceerde) gevechtsvliegtuigen aan het bijkopen. Maar sommigen zijn blijkbaar blijven steken in die exclusieve Air Policing rationale van weleer en projecteren dat nu als de luchtverdedigingsbehoefte voor een grootschalig conflict. Nogmaals, nonsens.

🚁 Did you know? Belgium’s SAR mission began in 1947 from Nieuwpoort before helicopters. In 1961, the first Sikorsky at Koksijde marked a turning point. From Sea King to today’s NH90 NFH, the mission evolved. ➡️ One constant: save lives, when every minute counts. 📷Moors M.

New SHAPE Village opens at NATO headquarters near Mons prez.ly/uXHd #Belga #Belgium #NATO #SHAPE

Une carte à jouer pour Thales 🇧🇪 : l'armée 🇳🇱 écarte la roquette guidée Hydra 70 & cherche une alternative pour son infanterie de marine & ses paras (frappe sol-sol en perspective) ➡️Côté Thales, objectif de pouvoir produire jusqu'à 20 000 roquettes FZ275 / an à compter de 2028

What if you were our future H145M pilot? It all starts with learning to fly. From first flights to advanced training, each step builds the path. 👉 Over 300 flight hours. One goal: the H145M. ➡️ A next-gen helicopter. A wide range of missions. 📷Soulasse C. - @PilatusAircraft

Hi Glenn, Bart here. I can explain international maritime law to you, and maybe you would then understand that freedom of navigation does not apply to stateless ships. This vessel is stateless as it was flying the flag of Madagascar but was not registered there. The reason? Because normally the flag state would be responsible for safety, security, and labour laws on board a ship. As the vessel is stateless, there is no flag state. As such, a port or coastal state has the authority (given by UN international maritime law) to board and detain a vessel to ascertain the nationality and basically act as a flag state. The coastal state is allowed to enforce these laws in international waters (the coastal state becomes the de facto flag state). Why would we allow such a thing? You see, when a ship would ground, sink, and/or get damaged and oil would spill on our coasts and kill birds, destroy the livelihood of fishermen, the tourist industry, and destroy nature, the insurance of the vessel would pay for the damages. As the vessel is stateless, there is no insurance company. So if a vessel were to flounder, the cost would fall on the citizens of the coastal state that got hit by the oil spill and not the shipping company. That's why, when UNCLOS 82 was negotiated, a lot of countries made sure that there were provisions so that a coastal state could take these vessels and remove them from our seas. Now, concerning sanctions. Of course, you can not enforce them in international waters on a ship flying a foreign flag. You would only be able to enforce those if the ship were flying the flag of your own country and/or if the ship were to sail in your territorial waters. (A vessel sailing through your territorial waters has to adhere to the laws of the coastal state and, as such, adhere to any sanctions, even unilateral sanctions.) But here's the thing. As I explained before, there is no flag state, so the coastal state has become the de facto flag state of the boarded vessel. And guess what... now the vessel has to adhere to unilateral sanctions. I'm really happy I could explain this to you. Best regards

🇧🇪 Command Post variant of the VBMR Grifon with 10th CIS Group, 1st Brigade.

HMCS William Hall (AOPV 433) Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel and Belgian Navy Karel Doorman-class frigate BNS Louise-Marie (F931) in Zeebrugge, Belgium - May 30, 2026 SRC: webcam