If the reform of military pensions decided by the government last October is implemented in its current form, the Ministry of Defence may lose significant capacity.
It is estimated that by 2028, it will have lost a quarter of its fighting forces. This is according to the military trade union the General Federation of Military Personnel.
La Libre Belgique and La Dernière Heure are reporting this today (Wednesday).
The loss of operational capacity will then be 15% greater than anticipated by the New Flemish Alliance Minister of Defence, Steven Vandeput's Agreement on the Strategic Plan for Defence (2015-2030).
This aims to achieve a smaller, younger and more easily deployable army.
The CGPM thus fears that the wage cost of increasing the pension age from 56 to 63 years between 2018 and 2030, may be compensated for by reducing recruitment, equipment budget cuts and a shift away from investments.
Roger Housen, the Strategy Consultant for CGPM, says that the delicate balance between the various financial envelopes may be put at significant risk.
In addition, the objective of injecting new blood into military personnel, and the necessity of combining trained staff and quality equipment, may also suffer.
A representative from the trade union will speak today (Wednesday) before the Parliamentary Defence Commission.
The Brussels Times
