“Over the next few years, our greatest challenge will be to continue the reconstruction of Defense in order to be able to act more autonomously when necessary to protect our continent and our interests,” Dedonder said. “Our objective remains the same: to ensure the security of our country while working for global stability,” she added.
Admiral Hofman also elaborated on the update of the STAR plan (for “Security, Technology, Ambition, Resilience”), which was approved in 2022 at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This plan, which involves investments amounting to 10.2 billion euros by 2030 on top of the previously planned 9.2 billion euros, outlines the contours of the Belgian army by 2030.
That plan already forms a very solid foundation on which we can build, Hofman said. Hofman put forward three pillars for the update: a budgetary adjustment to take inflation into account, a reinforcement to “increase the level of preparedness of the armed forces within the framework of collective defense” – this includes, among other things, restoring the stock of ammunition and spare parts – and adapting to the new way of waging war, in particular the introduction of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and drones, and to meet capability obligations compared to our allies within the European Union and NATO.