Belgium Marks Five Years in Kandahar

This month marks the fifth year of the Belgian presence in Kandahar as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

This presence consists mainly of four F-16s of the Belgian air force's 10th Tactical Wing from Kleine-Brogel and the 2nd Tactical Wing from Florennes providing air support to ISAF but also medical, signals and logistics units. Since 2008, there have been 15 rotations by a total of 1,938 Belgian personnel and 4,000 sorties totaling 14,000 hours.

The Belgian contingent in Kandahar was initially accommodated in tents, which were replaced by containers and since last year has been based in buildings, providing better protection from attack and weather conditions.

The future of the Belgian contingent in Kandahar after 2014 must still be decided. 

Source: Aviation Week

 Photo: Vador

Belgium To End Kabul Airport Protection Mission

Belgium is ending its longest mission in Afghanistan, the protection of Kabul International Airport (KAIA), over the next few months. Starting in October, the mission will be taken over by a multinational unit under French command and including Portuguese, Hungarian and Albanian troops. Belgium has been conducting the mission with around 250 troops since the beginning of 2003. Belgium will continue to participate in other NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) missions in Afghanistan. In Kabul, it will continue to have personnel assigned to ISAF headquarters and in various Afghan National Army (ANA) schools. In Kandahar, where Belgium has a detachment of F-16s, four Belgian instructors are mentoring the Afghan National Air Force, and Belgian surgeons are working in the base's military hospital. In Kunduz, Belgian personnel are supporting the provincial reconstruction team and are members of military advisory teams advising, training and supporting the ANA. Finally, Belgian instructors are teaching at the ANA engineering school in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Source: Aviation Week

Best regards,

Daniel

 

 

Comopsair : C-130 Problem in Afghanistan (Het Gazet van Antwerpen - Le Soir)

Militairen gestrand door defecte C-130

 In Gazet van Antwerpen http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid1106978/militairen-gestrand-door-defecte-c-130.aspx


06:15 Honderdvijftien Belgische militairen die hun missie in Afghanistan hadden afgerond, konden afgelopen weekend niet terugkeren naar ons land omdat hun C-130 transportvliegtuig defect was. Alwéér. Dat schrijven Het Belang van Limburg en de Gazet van Antwerpen.


In Le soir Today http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/belgique/2012-01-16/nouvelle-panne-pour-un-c-130-de-l-armee-890442.php

Nouvelle panne pour un C-130 de l'armée

Rédaction en ligne

lundi 16 janvier 2012, 07:50

Une centaine de militaires belges, qui venaient de terminer leur mission en Afghanistan, n'ont pas pu rentrer en Belgique à cause d'une panne de leur C-130.