The planned Belgo-Luxembourgish army battalion has taken a significant step forward with the signing of a major procurement contract for 54 new military vehicles.
On Wednesday, Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes and Minister of the Economy Lex Delles signed the agreement with the French manufacturer KNDS. The vehicles, to be acquired for the Grand Duchy’s defence, are armed and armoured reconnaissance models of the French-made Jaguar and Griffon types. The purchase price will not be officially disclosed.
The acquisition marks a key technical step in establishing the full binational battalion, which is set to comprise around 700 soldiers. Approximately half of the personnel, or 350 soldiers, will be provided by Luxembourg.
To be stationed in Arlon and made available for NATO deployments in Eastern Europe, the battalion is scheduled to become fully operational by 2030. It will officially be known as the Guides-Chasseurs Luxembourgeois (“Luxembourg Hunting Guides”), a name that historically refers to cavalry units, reflecting the detachment’s reconnaissance role.
