Why Belgium Needs a Special Operations Command

Abstract:

In the 2010s, Europe found itself confronted with a rapidly deteriorating security environment and defence establishments worn out by budget cuts. Policy-makers across the continent were turning to their elite soldiers to
save the day. Trained in all forms of unconventional warfare, special operations forces constituted a versatile tool for countering terrorism and training partners abroad. This Policy Brief aims to put the demand for special operations forces in Belgium in 2016 in its historical context and engage in the discussion on how to structure and employ this special instrument of policy.