Defence launches the Ammunition Readiness Plan 2025: putting an end to chronic ammunition shortages

The federal government has given the green light to the Ammunition Readiness Plan 2025—a multi-year strategy enabling Defence to catch up on a historic backlog and end persistent shortages in ammunition stockpiles.

Minister Theo Francken stated: “With this plan, we’re finally putting an end to the stories about our soldiers having to throw stones after just a few hours of combat, or shouting ‘bang bang’ during training exercises due to a lack of practice rounds.”

Defence must be capable of fulfilling its five core missions, including national defence and contributing to collective security. The current geopolitical climate—with its acute and complex threat landscape following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—demands a combat-ready Defence force, equipped with sufficient ammunition reserves.

Readiness, now and for the future

This plan is not only about replenishing existing stockpiles—it also aims to build a robust, resilient supply structure. Minister Francken explained:
“The war in Ukraine has shown just how massive the consumption of ammunition can be. That’s why we need strategic partnerships with producers, to keep production lines running.”

The plan is part of a broader strategy aligned with NATO doctrine. By investing in ammunition, Belgium can meet its NATO obligations under Article 5.

A broad spectrum

The Ammunition Readiness Plan 2025 covers a wide range of ammunition types and weapons capabilities across all branches of Defence. This includes 155mm artillery shells—essential for our artillery units—along with mortar rounds, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles vital for ground force effectiveness and self-protection.

For the navy, a variety of missiles will be acquired to counter threats in the air, on land, at sea, and under water.

The air component will benefit from new guided missile systems designed for both air defence and long-range precision strikes. For the first time, Belgium is also investing in cruise missile capability via the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), giving our air force a much-needed stand-off capability. This allows Belgium to strike targets without sending aircraft into hostile airspace—a gamechanger for operational autonomy and credible deterrence.

A structural investment in security

The Ammunition Readiness Plan 2025 provides for an initial investment of €2.3 billion this year. The focus is on the rapid procurement of critical ammunition types, particularly for newly ordered or delivered weapons systems. Delivery lead times for some ammunition can reach up to seven years—making swift action essential.

A turning point after decades of underfunding

With this plan, Defence takes a major step toward implementing the government's policy statement, which affirms that the armed forces must once again ensure “readiness” through sufficient resources and increased operational output.

“This investment marks a fundamental shift after thirty years of underfunding our armed forces,” said Minister Francken. “We’re building a modern army—one with not only motivated personnel and high-tech systems, but also the ammunition stockpiles necessary to be truly operational.”