Belgium has unveiled a comprehensive 20-year industrial partnership aimed at transforming how the Belgian Army maintains and sustains its vehicles and weapon systems.
The newly established Land Systems Logistic Support (LS²) alliance will centralise maintenance, modernisation, and logistical support for all land force vehicles, communications equipment, and armaments under a single framework. The partnership brings together three key defence companies: John Cockerill Defense, FN Herstal, and Thales Belgium.
By replacing a fragmented network of individual contracts and suppliers, LS² is intended to streamline support processes, boost operational availability, and reinforce Belgium’s technological and industrial sovereignty.
The alliance plans to modernise maintenance practices and introduce more efficient support systems across the Belgian Army’s land platforms.
LS² activities will be progressively implemented across land force bases nationwide, beginning with the transfer of existing maintenance responsibilities, the rollout of a transition plan to ensure continuity of fleet support, and the expansion of industrial and technical capacity.
Belgium has also deepened several other defence partnerships in recent years. In December 2025, Brussels signed a €27.6-million ($32.7-million) agreement with the United States to provide technical support for Belgian F-16s, F-35As, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aircraft through 2028.
In January, Belgium selected Proximus NXT as a strategic cyber-defence partner, tasked with safeguarding military and information systems over an eight-year period.
Earlier, in late 2023, Belgium and FN Herstal concluded a long-term agreement running through 2043 to secure small-arms and ammunition supplies, strengthening national security of supply and supporting NATO and EU industrial resilience.
