Belgium to invest €36.8 million in CBRN protective equipment
The Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken has announced that the country is investing €36.8 million in the purchase of personal CBRN protective equipment.
In an article published on 18 September 2026, it was reported that the investment is meant to ensure that all defence personnel are better protected, and that assistance can be provided more quickly when the safety of the population is at risk.
"As a soldier, you must be able to count on receiving the right protection when you are deployed. And as a citizen, you must be able to trust that our armed forces are ready when the security of our country is threatened. With this investment, we strengthen both," said Francken.
"Current stocks are not sufficient to equip all soldiers. With this purchase, Defence is strengthening its operational stockpile, and protective equipment will be stored closer to the units. This allows soldiers to be equipped more quickly when the threat level rises," the article said.
The procurement will include gas masks and filters, operational CBRN suits, gloves, overboots, chemically resistant drinking reservoirs, and wipes for skin decontamination. Training suits and practice equipment are also being purchased.
The purchase will make it possible to equip 30,000 soldiers and to support an active reserve of 8,000 soldiers. In addition, a pool of 1,000 protective kits for civilian personnel will be created.
The equipment, which is worth about €36.8 million, will be purchased through existing contracts of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
"By pooling the purchasing volumes of several NATO member states, the available contract prices are on average about 40 percent lower than standard market prices," the article noted.
