Belgian C-130 Hercules at Erbil International Airport
Belgium’s operations against Daesh began in late August 2014 with humanitarian supply missions flying from Melsbroek, Belgium to Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq. The aircraft, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the 15th Wing (Belgian Air Component), was loaded with flour, rice, sugar, pasta, clothing, and medicine, and flew from Melsbroek to an airport in Bulgaria, and from Bulgaria to Erbil. Belgium’s military involvement in the conflict began on September 26th, 2014, with 120 Belgian military personnel and six General Dynamics F-16AMs of the 2nd Wing departing their base in Florennes for Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The Belgian Federal Parliament, citing the Right to Collective Self Defense as outlined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, and further citing the request by the Iraqi government for military assistance, had voted to deploy the aircraft for reconnaissance and bombing missions. They further stipulated that operations be limited to Iraq (and not Syria), where their assistance had been explicitly requested.
Belgian F-16s began bombing Daesh positions on October 5th, 2014, with a strike against a mortar position that was bombarding the Iraqi army. The mission, known as Operation Desert Falcon, utilized F-16s in both a reconnaissance and an attack role, and saw joint operations between manned aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). On November 7th, Belgium was given the lead position for a raid that included two Belgian F-16s and six other coalition aircraft. By the end of 2014, Belgian aircraft had reportedly carried out 298 flights over Iraq.
Belgian instructors with Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad
Belgium expanded their mission in Iraq to include a three-person military “planning” team to Coalition headquarters in Baghdad. The purpose of this mission was to prepare for the possible deployment of up to fifty Belgian soldiers on a train-and-advise mission. Thirty of those soldiers arrived in Iraq sometime in the early months of 2015, and by late April they were openly announced to be training the Iraqi security forces. Between December 31st, 2014, and April 24th, 2015, the BAC F-16s carried out nearly 300 flights, roughly 5% of the Coalition total. 107 targets had been destroyed by Belgian aircraft. Belgian jets left Iraq in July 2015, replaced by six Dutch jets, but the Belgian force protection units remained in place. In July 2016, Belgian jets returned to Jordan to continue carrying out missions, relieving the Dutch jets that had taken the place of the Belgians a year before. The Dutch jets were set to return in July of 2017, but on the 16th of June it was announced that the Royal Dutch Air Force would be unable to fulfill its commitment, thus the Belgian mission was extended through the end of 2017.
While Belgium’s contribution to the war against Daesh may not be the most militarily impressive, when you consider the size of the Belgian military and the relative economic power Brussels brings to bear, it is a worthwhile and much-appreciated boost of morale, personnel, international legitimacy, and (on a small scale) raw military power.
All images courtesy of the Belgian Ministry of Defense.
