On Thursday, ground was broken to accommodate new hangars at the WSA, adding an extra 18,500 sq metres of storage and maintenance space for military equipment.
In addition to the joy of retaining 200 jobs on-site, the ceremony highlighted the facility’s crucial role in the present moment. A shift in US military strategy is evident, contrasting with the previous trend during former President Trump’s tenure, which involved reducing the US military presence in Europe.
The US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett, stressed the project’s significance, stating, “This project is about strengthening our common, allied defence and deterrence, right here in Luxembourg. It also underscores the US commitment to EU defence. The NATO alliance remains set in stone.”
The decision to expand the facility in Sanem was not unilateral; it was driven by a contractual commitment. Acting Minister of Defence François Bausch explained, “We have a ten-year contract secured through funding legislation that guarantees personnel and jobs. In return, the US has chosen to invest an additional $100 million to construct three new hangars.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and heightened tensions in the Middle East show that defence issues are not to be neglected, Bausch said, noting, “We must assess how we, as Luxembourgers, can better position ourselves. I would like to remind you of the Belgian-Luxembourg Battalion. We must explore suitable locations on the Luxembourg side for storing the battalion’s equipment. It is evident that the changing times, characterised by conflicts necessitating increased resources, demand such adaptations.”
The WSA was established in Luxembourg in 1978. It allows for the swift deployment of equipment to support US troops and their allies in missions worldwide within a 24-hour timeframe.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish)
