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Belgium has been left humiliated after a recruitment crisis forced it to withdraw a frigate from a British-led Nato exercise because of its inexperienced crew.
© PO(Phot) Jim Gibson RNR/Royal NavyAn Astute class nuclear submarine in company with the Type 23 frigate HMS Kent, during the Nato Joint Warrior exercises in 2019 - PO(Phot) Jim Gibson RNR/Royal Navy
Leopold I, a 400-foot, Karel Doorman-class vessel, was snubbed from the mission after it became clear its young crew had not received sufficient training to take part in the “Joint Warrior” mission.
The rejection has come as a significant blow to Belgium’s armed forces, which is struggling to replace its ageing sailors with fresh recruits.
Ministers are now facing questions over the country’s future participation in similar training exercises.
Belgium’s defence ministry last week boasted that the ship would be sent on the Nato mission with an unusually young crew, of whom 65 percent are under the age of 35.
One said the incident was “unheard of, a failure for our navy”, according to the VRT public broadcaster.
“This kind of exercise is unique for a crew. It is unprecedented that the Leopold I was not able to join,” another told De Tijd newspaper.
The defence ministry blamed its inability to train up young sailors in basic safety procedures, such as firefighting, in time to take part in the mission.
Oliver Vogels, a naval spokesman, said: “We are partly the victim of the new young guard that had to be prepared very quickly.
“In addition, everyone who is deployed on a ship must be able to perform two to three functions. So that requires two to three times more training from the young sailors.”
Leopold I will remain docked at Den Helder in the Netherlands, while its Nato allies take part in the biannual, UK-led training air, land and sea mission.
More than 3,000 military personnel from 14 nations are due to take part in airborne assaults, amphibious landings, evacuations and live-fire exercises off northwest Scotland this week.
Belgium has hired extra trainers in the hope of joining the exercise at "some point" in the future.
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=286759
© PO(Phot) Jim Gibson RNR/Royal NavyAn Astute class nuclear submarine in company with the Type 23 frigate HMS Kent, during the Nato Joint Warrior exercises in 2019 - PO(Phot) Jim Gibson RNR/Royal Navy
Leopold I, a 400-foot, Karel Doorman-class vessel, was snubbed from the mission after it became clear its young crew had not received sufficient training to take part in the “Joint Warrior” mission.
The rejection has come as a significant blow to Belgium’s armed forces, which is struggling to replace its ageing sailors with fresh recruits.
Ministers are now facing questions over the country’s future participation in similar training exercises.
Belgium’s defence ministry last week boasted that the ship would be sent on the Nato mission with an unusually young crew, of whom 65 percent are under the age of 35.
An ‘unheard-of’ failure
Senior officers have spoken out in frustration after being left red-faced in front of their partners in the transatlantic alliance
One said the incident was “unheard of, a failure for our navy”, according to the VRT public broadcaster.
“This kind of exercise is unique for a crew. It is unprecedented that the Leopold I was not able to join,” another told De Tijd newspaper.
The defence ministry blamed its inability to train up young sailors in basic safety procedures, such as firefighting, in time to take part in the mission.
Oliver Vogels, a naval spokesman, said: “We are partly the victim of the new young guard that had to be prepared very quickly.
“In addition, everyone who is deployed on a ship must be able to perform two to three functions. So that requires two to three times more training from the young sailors.”
Leopold I will remain docked at Den Helder in the Netherlands, while its Nato allies take part in the biannual, UK-led training air, land and sea mission.
More than 3,000 military personnel from 14 nations are due to take part in airborne assaults, amphibious landings, evacuations and live-fire exercises off northwest Scotland this week.
Belgium has hired extra trainers in the hope of joining the exercise at "some point" in the future.
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=286759
