Belgium has launched a far-reaching 20-year industrial initiative designed to reshape the sustainment and readiness of the Belgian Army’s vehicle and weapons fleets.
At the centre of the effort is the Land Systems Logistic Support (LS²) alliance, which will integrate maintenance, upgrade, and logistics functions for all land force vehicles, communications systems, and armaments within a unified structure. The alliance brings together John Cockerill Defense, FN Herstal, and Thales Belgium.
Moving away from multiple standalone contracts, LS² seeks to improve efficiency, raise fleet availability, and strengthen Belgium’s domestic defence-industrial base and technological independence.
The partnership will modernise maintenance concepts and introduce more advanced and efficient support solutions across Belgian land systems.
Implementation will be phased across Belgian Army bases, starting with the handover of current maintenance activities, the establishment of a transition framework to ensure uninterrupted fleet support, and the gradual build-up of industrial and technical capabilities.
The initiative complements Belgium’s broader push to reinforce defence partnerships. In December 2025, the country signed a €27.6-million ($32.7-million) deal with the United States to support Belgian F-16, F-35A, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian platforms through 2028.
In January, Proximus NXT was selected as Belgium’s strategic cyber-defence partner, responsible for protecting military and information systems over the next eight years.
Earlier, in late 2023, Belgium finalised a long-term agreement with FN Herstal extending to 2043 to secure small-arms and ammunition supplies, ensuring national security of supply and reinforcing NATO and EU industrial resilience.
