Media: Belgium buys Sea Sparrow missiles from Germany to deliver to Ukraine.

The Belgian Defense Ministry has bought a stock of short-range Sea Sparrow missiles from Germany and plans to deliver more than half to Ukraine, the Belgian newspaper L'Echo reported[1] on Sept.

4. Belgium bought 14 of the radar-guided sea-to-air missiles that were used on a now-decommissioned German frigate for EUR7,000 (£7,600) per unit. The Belgian government plans to donate eight of the U.S.-made weapons to Kyiv.

While the delivery represents a relatively light form of military aid, "it illustrates the complementary nature of Belgian support", according to L'Echo's sources in the Defense Ministry. The missiles could be recycled into surface-to-air missiles or used to equip drones, L'Echo added. In January, Politico reported[2] that Sea Sparrows were to be included in a U.S. military aid package, and that the Ukrainian military had found a way to modify its Soviet-era BUK launchers to fire them.

Earlier in the summer, Belgium announced[3] plans to send refurbished M113 armored vehicles to Ukraine, together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg. All three countries are also part[4] of a new international coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets announced at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

Media: Secret buyer purchases Leopard tanks from private Belgian stockpile for Ukraine Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported on Aug.

7 that a secret buyer purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks from a private company in Belgium to donate to Kyiv.

References

1. ^ reported (www.lecho.be)
2. ^ reported (kyivindependent.com)
3. ^ announced (kyivindependent.com)
4. ^ part (kyivindependent.com)
5. ^ Media: Secret buyer purchases Leopard tanks from private Belgian stockpile for UkraineBelgian newspaper De Standaard reported on Aug.

   7 that a secret buyer purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks from a private company in Belgium to donate to Kyiv. (kyivindependent.com)