Belgium and Netherlands sign €3.1B air defense deal for NASAMS and Skyranger 30

Ankara, July 8, 2026 — Belgium and the Netherlands signed a cooperation agreement at the NATO summit in Ankara to jointly develop a multi-layered air defense system. Under the agreement, Belgium has committed €3.1 billion to procure new short- and medium-range air defense systems, which are to be interoperable with those of the Netherlands.

The agreement was signed by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, and Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz. The project will be financed from the €8.34 billion allocated to Belgium under the EU funding instrument "Security Measures for Europe" (SAFE).

Procurement Package

According to a statement on Francken's page on the Belgian state website, the €3.1 billion package includes:

• 10 NASAMS systems (presumably fire units)
• 14 GM200 MM/C radars
• 20 Skyranger 30 "systems" (presumably fire units)
• 54 command vehicles
• Ammunition

Delivery and Interim Measures

Although no delivery date was specified, the statement noted that under the agreement, Belgium will temporarily lease "a minimum capacity of NASAMS" starting in 2027. This suggests at least one NASAMS fire unit.

System Specifications

For reference:

• A NASAMS fire unit typically consists of three launchers, one radar, and one command post.
• A NASAMS battery typically includes three fire units.
• NASAMS is intended for short-range (SHORAD) and medium-range air defense (MRAD).
• The Skyranger 30 takes on the very short-range air defense (VSHORAD) role.

The Thales MM/C radars are presumably primarily intended for airspace surveillance, as they operate in the S-band with a range of approximately 400 km — significantly exceeding the ranges of NASAMS or Skyranger 30. It is therefore assumed that the NASAMS batteries will use their own shorter-range radars for fire control, such as the Raytheon AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel, which is commonly offered with the system.