CHALLENGE MODE: Make the Belgian Navy great again

Step 1: increase Belgium's defense spending from 1% of GDP to 2.5%.

Fundamentally, there's not much you can do without a budget increase. However, I'd look to exploit what the navy has.

That means making use of the minehunter fleet. Create a "rapid" deployment method so that you could carry three or four minehunters on the back of a mothership. This would a be great and niche capability to have - extremely useful for a coalition operation.

Have you seen the size of Belgium?

>>35060554
Give them the kittyhawk.

Why?

>>35060554
Step 1: Become leader of Netherlands
Step 2: Forcibly annex Belgium
Step 3: Somehow manage to become a client state of the US.
Step 4: Get annexed by the US

The Belgian Navy is now the Dutch Navy is now part of the US Navy is now great again.

>>35060554
Since the belgian navy is the best at minesweeping:

1)build 50 minehunters
2)rent those as mercenaries across the world (another belgian specialty)
3)other navies don't have dedicated mine vessels anymore
4)put mines everywhere
5)rule the waves

>>35060554
>sell off one of the MHC Tripartite and one of the PB Castor class ships to raise extra funds

Proceed to invest in a larger destroyer similar in design to that of an Arleigh Burk class destroyer to its most modern outfit, prior to the adoption of the Zumwalt class of stealth autism. Refit the Karel Doorman class to such modern spec as well.

Add a nuclear submarine. Why the fuck not?

With current budget and the extra funds from selling other ships, that could all be achieved by 2025, not considering construction time.

>>35060554
You should state new bigger budget.

With 2% NATO expenditure "threshold" you would have about 2 billion dollars yearly.

Since only threat Belgium could and should face is terrorism, I would replace current frigates with 4 frigates with configuration like this:
~6000 tonne displacement
- Two helicopter hangars
- 8 or 16 Mk 41 VLS, mostly for ESSM
- 127mm Oto Melara, maybe with Vulcano ammo
- 2-3 RHIBs, maybe well deck for something like CB-90
- 2-4 HMG's or remotelly controlled 20-27mm guns for killing pirate boat's
- 1-2 CIWS (maybe Goalkeeper since it is already used in this navy)
- cheap sonar
- just-enough radar suite
- torpedo tubes
- limited ECM
- endurance of 50 days with redundant accomodation

Four of those could be ready any time to save Belgian citizens around globe or do international missions of many kinds.

Current supply vessel would be replaced by 1-2 vessels like Berlin-class, only armed with CIWS and maybe ECM.

+ new minesweepers

+ maybe company of marines

>>35061655
Oh, and AShM on frigates, maybe NSM for land-strike. But those wouldn't had to be equipped all the time - same goes for torpedo tubes.

+ frigates could be made with some civilian standards for lowering costs.

>>35061655
You are only thinking about the current threat wich isnt good thing. These frigates would have to operate for the next 30 - 40 years and by then a high risk cold war type of scenario might be more of a threat.

Id say go for a decent gun (a five inch one) adn a single helicopter hangar, 16 - 32 VLS that can be adapted for different missions, one or two RHIBs and a few CIWS (and light weapons such as FN MAGs etc ofc).

>>35061710
127mm is five inch.

And thing is, even many second-rate navies don't have more than 16 VLS on their ships.

I dont't think how existance of Belgium could be endangered from the sea. Not that they ever could win with any naval power. And in team naval combat, those frigates would be just ok.

I just tried to be realistic. I estimate cost of those frigates for 600-800 mln dollars. Total programme cost of about 3 bln dollars would be challenging already.

>>35061753
I know that 5 in is 127 mm.

Im trying to be realistic too, but with less of a focus on their UN missions, and with more of a focus on their NATO commitment.

Belgium itself might not be fucked by sea (that would be a stupid way to attck Belgium no matter who you are) but they are one of the original NATO memebers and probably want to provide to the overall defence strategy.

Scrap it and transfer all funds to the airforce.

>>35060554
With 16 VLS firing RIM7 I'd start by swapping the RIM7s for 32 ESSM (quad packed) and 8 ASROC, and improving the sonar gear.

>>35060554
6 CVNs
24 DDGs
16 SSNs

Defund absolutely everything that is not the military and funnel 100% of the states budget into the military.

>>35060981
As if we come even close to 1% atm

>>35061447
>2)rent those as mercenaries across the world (another belgian specialty)

Could you eleborate?

>>35060554
From what I heard, Belgum never had a great navy: its vessels were always no larger than destroyer escorts. If you could add a submarine or two to the mix it would make their navy a load more survivable.

>>35065147
After Congo became independant, a lot of belgian soldiers became mercenaries and fought in various parts of Africa for decades.

>>35060554

Buy a bunch of chinese corvette designs.

Done.

>>35066465
La Hague was also famous as a recruiting hub internationally; you'd go to London or La Hague first then get flown out to Africa.