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."

History 

On 31 August 2021, Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder and Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence François Bausch signed a Letter of Intent for the creation of a Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion.

On 25 January 2022, creation of the binational working group Ermesinde with the task of developing the concepts for the establishment and the joint operation of the future Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion.

On 13 October 2022, signing of the Declaration of Intent regarding the implementation of the bi-national reconnaissance battalion.

Declaration of Intent between the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium regarding the location of the bi-national reconnaissance battalion

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties";

Referring to the capability goals jointly proposed to them in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defence planning process;

Committed to strengthen their regional cooperation efforts and the European military pillar;

Considering the acceptance by the Parties of these new capability goals at the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on 21 October 2021;

Working within the framework of the Cooperation Treaty between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on security and defence cooperation, concluded in Brussels on 5 February 2015;

Considering the Declaration of Intent between the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium regarding the establishment and joint operation of a bi-national reconnaissance battalion, signed on 31 August 2021 in Luxembourg;

Noting the willingness of the Parties to further study the establishment and joint operation of a Belgian-Luxembourg reconnaissance battalion;

Agree to confirm the principles of the Declaration of Intent signed on 31 August 2021 in Luxembourg and to complement them with the following principles:

1. Location of the bi-national reconnaissance battalion with Arlon as its centre of gravity and a significant footprint in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
2. Joint implementation and operation in three phases:

  1. Initial phase, focusing on Marche-en-Famenne for the Belgian part and Diekirch for the Luxembourg part with an initial integration in Marche-en-Famenne;

  2. Intermediate phase, marked by the gradual establishment of the bi-national reconnaissance battalion in Arlon and by the gradual activation of the facilities in Luxembourg;

  3. Final phase, marked by maximum integration, with Arlon as the centre of gravity and with a significant footprint in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

This Declaration of Intent is signed on 13 October 2022 in Brussels in two copies, in French.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Francois BAUSCH

Minister of Defence  of the Kingdom of Belgium

Ludivine DEDONDER

Press release by the Directorate of Defence