Belgian Army Learns Harsh Lessons from Iran and Ukraine Wars
A soldier who activates a mobile phone in a modern combat zone survives an average of just 70 seconds before being detected and targeted. That stark warning comes from Belgium’s top military commander, General Frederik Vansina, who has laid bare the brutal realities of electronic warfare in an in-depth interview with De Morgen. The assessment, drawn from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, is driving a fundamental transformation of Belgian defense strategy and battlefield protocols.
The Transparent Battlefield
The wars in Ukraine and Iran have demonstrated that the modern battlefield has become “transparent” — any electronic emission, from mobile phone signals to vehicle electronics, can be detected, geolocated, and engaged within minutes. General Vansina, Chief of Defence of the Belgian Armed Forces since February 2024, described a combat environment where the margin for error has all but vanished.
“If a soldier turns on his phone at the front, he lives an average of 70 seconds,” Vansina told De Morgen. “If he moves with a vehicle near the battlefield, he has an average of 6 minutes before a Russian drone finds him and strikes.” The general noted that the conflict has evolved into a war of attrition where opposing forces attempt to eliminate each other “man by man.”
According to Vansina, the front line in Ukraine has transformed into a kill zone stretching 10 to 50 kilometers wide, depending on the sector. Drones have become the dominant weapon system, with the war increasingly fought by swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles directed through networked command systems. The general warned that the future of warfare — whether nations welcome it or not — will be fought with drones across land, sea, and air.
Accelerating Modernization
Belgium, historically a relatively low spender on defense, has been jolted into action by the conflicts. The government’s Strategic Vision 2025 represents a comprehensive overhaul of the armed forces, with a total investment program of €34.2 billion, including €27 billion for new capabilities. The plan aims to bring Belgium to the NATO target of 2% of GDP on defense spending, approximately €12 billion annually.
Key pillars of the modernization include investments in defensive and offensive cyber capabilities, electronic warfare, drones and anti-drone systems, artificial intelligence, and space systems for military purposes. The Belgian government has already allocated €1.1 billion for new drone defense systems, reported in March 2026, following an emergency procurement of €50 million for anti-drone systems after drones were spotted near the Belgian military base in Marche-en-Famenne in late 2025.
Vansina, however, made clear that the pace of change remains insufficient. “It’s all still much too slow,” he said, pointing to the European defense industry’s failure to scale up production rapidly enough. He highlighted the SAMP/T air defense system as an example: despite four years of war in Ukraine, ordering and receiving this capable Franco-Italian system remains a protracted process.
The Rise of AI and “Palantirisation”
A particularly striking development Vansina described is what he calls the “palantirisation” of warfare — the increasing role of artificial intelligence in military planning and execution. Drawing on the example of American technology company Palantir, the general explained that algorithms are now handling a growing share of battlefield decision-making.
“The time of hundreds or even thousands of planners jointly deciding which targets to attack — think of the First Gulf War — is over,” Vansina said. “A few dozen people can now do that, with the help of algorithms that distill the right information from enormous data streams in the blink of an eye.”
In Ukraine, this transformation is already visible on the ground. Drone pilots are increasingly operating entire swarms of unmanned aircraft through networked systems. New Ukrainian drones now feature QR codes, allowing soldiers to provide direct feedback or reorder equipment — a kind of “military Bol.com,” as Vansina described it, referring to the Dutch e-commerce platform. The general acknowledged that Belgium is “still far from” this level of integration.
Ethical Questions Loom
The convergence of drones and AI raises profound ethical questions that Belgium has yet to fully confront. Under pressure from socialist and green parties, the country briefly considered a ban on “killer robots” in 2024, but the proposal never made it through the political process.
“We are ethical people and we question this automation,” Vansina said. “But our enemies do not hesitate. It is difficult to fall behind.”
Broader Implications for Europe
Vansina’s warnings extend beyond Belgium’s borders. In earlier interviews, he has described 2030 as “a dangerous year for Europe”, predicting that Russia will emerge from the Ukraine conflict with an army of 650,000 to 700,000 seasoned troops. He has stressed that European states have a narrow window to build up sufficient defensive capabilities.
The Belgian experience mirrors broader NATO concerns about electronic warfare vulnerabilities. As reported by Military Watch Magazine, Vansina has emphasized that Ukraine is “buying time” for Europe, making continued support for Kyiv a strategic necessity.
Belgium’s new federal government has also committed to expanding its cyber command and investing in electronic warfare capabilities as part of a broader push against hybrid threats, particularly from Russia.
What to Watch For
The coming years will determine whether Belgium can translate its strategic vision into operational reality. Key questions remain: What specific electronic warfare systems is Belgium acquiring? How will training protocols change to reflect the 70-second reality? And can the European defense industry accelerate production fast enough to meet the moment?
For now, General Vansina’s message is clear: the era of the transparent battlefield has arrived, and Belgium must adapt — or risk being left dangerously exposed.