Belgium to Revive Land Forces

Belgium plans to create a second motorized brigade and reestablish its Land Forces as a separate branch of the armed forces amid increased defense spending.

The move was reported by the Forces Operations Blog, citing an annex to Belgium’s 2025 military budget.

The document offers an early outline of short-term changes planned for the army’s land component.

“Defense has come a long way and can now rethink itself,” the Belgian Ministry of Defense said in its concept note for 2025.

These plans are part of a broader set of reforms set to be introduced this year ahead of an updated Strategic Vision and new military funding law. Under the reforms, Belgium will raise defense spending to 2% of GDP in response to a deteriorating security environment.

One key measure is the reorganization of the Land Component into the Land Forces. Officials say the rebranding reflects “new ambitions, a higher level of combat readiness, and accelerated growth in the defense sector.”

The main structural change will be the creation of a second motorized brigade, approved by the Belgian government in February 2024.

The new brigade is expected to improve management of existing combat and support units, according to the defense ministry.

However, the plan masks several challenges. Under the reorganization, the existing motorized brigade based in Marche-en-Famenne will be split into the 7th and 1st brigades, with the latter headquartered in Bourg-Léopold.

Following the split, each brigade is expected to have about 2,800 troops, which the publication notes is notably small compared to the current brigade’s size of 7,500. The full restoration of personnel levels is not expected until 2032, when each brigade should reach around 3,700 troops.

Belgian Armed Forces

A 2002 reform merged the three branches of the Belgian Armed Forces into a single structure comprising four components and a cyber command. The current structure includes the Land Component (formerly the Land Forces), the Air Component (formerly the Air Force), the Naval Component (formerly the Navy), and the Medical Component. A Cyber Command has also been established.

As of 2023, the Belgian military had around 25,000 active personnel. Of these, approximately 10,000 served in the Land Component, 4,900 in the Air Component, 1,200 in the Naval Component, and 1,700 in the Medical Component. An additional 6,400 personnel were in reserve.