In which it remained until 1684.
After long wars, in 1713 Luxembourg became part of Austria and in 1714-1794. was part of Austria.
In 1795, Luxembourg was occupied by troops of the French Republic; in 1798, universal conscription was introduced here (mobilization into the French army became the cause of the uprising Kleppelkrieg, brutally suppressed by French troops).
On January 8, 1817, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Willem I, passed a law creating a military unit from the inhabitants of Luxembourg.
In 1842, a military band was formed in Luxembourg ( Musique militaire grand-ducale).
As of 1890, the armed forces numbered about 300 people and consisted of two companies (one company of gendarmes and one company of volunteers), commanded by an officer with the rank of major.
On February 18, 1940, when approving the tasks for German troops in the war against France, the OKH instructed the 16th Army “ reach the southern border of Luxembourg as soon as possible to reach the rear of the enemy’s fortified line in Northern France» .
On September 9-23, 1944, advancing US troops liberated the territory of Luxembourg; on September 23, 1944, a government arrived in the country, which on November 30, 1944 adopted a law on universal conscription. However, in December 1944, after the start of the German offensive in the Ardennes, the northern regions of Luxembourg were again occupied by German troops, who were finally driven out of Luxembourg by the Allies in January-February 1945.
In 1945, the formation of a new army of Luxembourg began, which was subsequently recruited on the basis of annual conscription.
Luxembourg soldiers took part in the Korean War (an infantry company of 44 Luxembourg soldiers acted together with the Belgian contingent) in 1950-1953.
In 1952, in accordance with the Treaty of Paris of 1952 and the “General Treaty” of 1952, a decision was made to create a military bloc “European Defense Community” (which was to include France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg), but since The French National Assembly refused to approve the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and the bloc was not created.
As of 1953, the strength of Luxembourg's armed forces was over 2 thousand people. By this time, the Luxembourg army was armed with weapons obtained from the United States and England, trained in accordance with American and British military regulations and consisted of several infantry battalions, security units and gendarmerie. The training of new officers for the Luxembourg army continued in military schools in Belgium.
In 1954, the arms company Societe Luxembourgeoise d’Armes S.A., founded in Luxembourg, released a number of SOLA submachine guns of its own design (later, the released samples were sold to countries in Africa and South America).
In 1967, compulsory military service was replaced by a recruitment of volunteers. Since 1967, the Luxembourg army has been staffed on a voluntary basis by citizens of both sexes aged 18 to 24 years.
As of 1976, Luxembourg's armed forces included the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the army (army headquarters, one infantry regiment and one separate company with a total of 625 people) and the gendarmerie with 420 people.
In December 1978, the Luxembourg government gave permission for the construction of two military warehouses for the US Army on the territory of the country, construction of which began in 1979. Also, in 1979, NATO military exercises were held on the territory of Luxembourg for the first time.
In 1980, Luxembourg implemented a NATO decision to increase the military budget of NATO member states by 3%, and the country's military spending was increased.
In 1981, Luxembourg expanded cooperation with NATO; in March 1981, NATO military exercises were held in the north of the country with the participation of troops from the United States, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
In 1982, the Luxembourg government decided to register NATO aircraft belonging to the AWACS air reconnaissance and early warning system under the Luxembourg flag.
In 1984, the construction of NATO military warehouses began again in the country, which continued in 1985. In addition, in January 1985, the Luxembourg army took part in the REFORGER -85 maneuvers. Strengthening cooperation with NATO caused discontent among the population; in March 1985, an anti-war rally was held in the city of Ashe.
In 1986, NATO military equipment warehouses located in Luxembourg were modernized. Also, in 1986, the Luxembourg armed forces took part in the military maneuvers REFORGER-86, Allegro Exchange-86 and the Luxembourg-American exercises Esling-86.
In February 1987, the largest act of sabotage in the country's history took place at a NATO armored vehicle storage base: approximately 40 of the 400 US military M-60 tanks in storage had their surveillance devices and sight lenses broken (an investigation revealed that the damage was caused by consciously).
In 1988, the strength of Luxembourg's armed forces was 1 thousand people, 320 of them (one reinforced company) were transferred to the disposal of the NATO unified command. Also located on Luxembourg territory was the NATO Supply and Logistics Agency and two NATO equipment depots. Luxembourg's military spending in 1988 and 1989 was 1.3% of GNP.
On June 19, 1992, at a meeting of foreign ministers and defense ministers of the countries of the Western European Union, the “Petersberg Declaration” was adopted, in which the WEU member states (including Luxembourg) declared their readiness to provide military units and units to carry out military tasks outside territory of the WEU member states (including for peacekeeping, rescue and humanitarian operations).
In 1994, the total strength of the Luxembourg armed forces was 800 people.
In 1996, a unit of the Luxembourg armed forces became part of the Eurocorps ( Eurocorps).
In 1999, Luxembourg sent an army unit (23 military personnel) to participate in the operation in Kosovo (in 2015, the strength of the unit as part of the KFOR forces was 26 military personnel).
In 2003-2014, Luxembourg took part in the war in Afghanistan; in the summer of 2003, an infantry unit of 10 soldiers was sent to the ISAF forces (operating as part of the unit BELU USAF 13 Belgian military contingent). In addition, from January 2009 to the end of November 2014, the Luxembourg company SES/ASTRA took part in providing satellite communications to ISAF forces.
Since 2003, Luxembourg has allowed military service in the country's armed forces to citizens of other EU states living in the country for at least 36 months (after completion of service they can obtain Luxembourg citizenship). As a result, in the period until May 2015, about 300 foreigners enlisted in the Luxembourg armed forces
In 2008, Glock 17 pistols were adopted by the Luxembourg army. Also, in March 2008, Luxembourg ordered 48 Dingo 2 armored vehicles (equipped with Kongsberg Protector RWS M153 remote-controlled combat modules, surveillance devices and communications equipment) from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
In September 2010, Luxembourg ordered 31 Scania G-480 army trucks (13 of which are armored) for the army.
Since January 1, 2015, Luxembourg has taken a limited part in NATO's Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan - 1 military personnel has been sent to Afghanistan.
Current state
In 2004, the country's military budget was 256 million US dollars, in 2010 - 556 million US dollars. By the beginning of 2011, the combat strength of the armed forces was as follows:
The army includes an honor guard company.
There is no air force, but Luxembourg officially has NATO early warning and control aircraft based at the NATO air base in Geilenkirchen (Germany):
In addition, the Union of Reserve Officers of Luxembourg (ANORL), which is part of the Inter-Union Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) created in 1948, operates in the country and is an associated organization with NATO.
Notes
- Luxembourg // The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th edition. Macropedia. Vol.23. Chicago, 1994. pp.314-318
- Luxembourg // Soviet Historical Encyclopedia / editorial coll., ch. ed. E. M. Zhukov. volume 8. M., state scientific publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1965. p.852-854
- Luxembourg // Great Encyclopedia (in 62 vols.). / ed. coll., ch. ed. S. A. Kondratov. volume 27. M., TERRA, 2006. pp. 82-88
- Luxembourg // Soviet military encyclopedia. / ed. N.V. Ogarkov. Volume 5. M., Military Publishing House, 1978. pp.56-57
- Vodovozov V. V.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- F. Halder. Occupation of Europe. Military diary of the Chief of the General Staff 1939-1941. M., Tsentrpoligraf, 2007. p.53
- F. Halder. Occupation of Europe. Military diary of the Chief of the General Staff 1939-1941. M., Tsentrpoligraf, 2007. p.105
- Nigel Thomas. Hitler's Blitzkrieg Enemies 1940: Denmark, Norway, Netherlands & Belgium. London, Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2014. pages 15-16
- M. I. Semiryaga. Collaborationism. Nature, typology and manifestations during the Second World War. M., ROSSPEN, 2000. pp.600-602
- World history (in 10 vols.) / editorial coll., ch. ed. V.V. Kurasov. volume 10. M., “Thought”, 1965. p.318
The leadership of Luxembourg has decided to double its military contingent in the African Republic of Mali. A small European state will send two, not one, military personnel to the Dark Continent. The military's task will include training Malian soldiers and police.
Earlier, France asked European countries for help after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. The French authorities appealed to clause 42.7 of the Lisbon Treaty, which provides that member states must come to the aid of the country that needs it.
Luxembourg responded to this call and sent one soldier.
However, jokes soon appeared on social networks about the significance of Luxembourg’s contribution to the fight against international terrorism and the Islamic State (an Islamist group banned in Russia). In particular, ironic posts appeared on Twitter: “Tremble, terrorists!”, “ISIS, the game is over” or “(Arabic abbreviation for ISIS), get ready.” Luxembourg is coming."
According to the Luxembourg newspaper Luxemburger Wort, the second soldier will arrive at his deployment site in Mali on a training mission in early 2016.
Luxembourg also promised to allocate €2 million to the Malian military as assistance in the fight against terrorists. The money will be used for education and training, the purchase of equipment and medical supplies, as well as for propaganda aimed primarily at children and youth in order to prevent the growth of sympathies for radicals.
In total, there are seven so-called dwarf countries in Europe.
These are those states whose population does not exceed 500 thousand people. These include Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino and Iceland. Some of them have their own armed forces, and the most numerous of them are Luxembourg and Maltese.
Luxembourg
Despite the small size of the duchy, it more than once found itself at the epicenter of various major military conflicts of the Old World - the Thirty Years' War, the Napoleonic and Franco-Prussian Wars.
The Luxembourg army officially appeared in 1881. During the First and Second World Wars, the territory of the state was quickly occupied by German troops, and the army units of the duchy were disarmed.
In 1941, a police battalion of Nazi Germany was formed from Luxembourgers, and a little later the conscription of residents of the duchy into the Wehrmacht began.
However, many of them did not want to serve; Luxembourgers often deserted from Hitler’s army.
After World War II, Luxembourg joined NATO.
He took part in the war in Korea, where an infantry company of 44 military personnel from the Duchy operated together with the Belgian contingent.
In 1967, the armed forces of this country began to be staffed on a voluntary basis.
Currently, Luxembourg's armed forces consist of an infantry battalion, as well as two reconnaissance companies (about 900 people in total).
The country's military uses weapons produced in Western Europe and NATO. Thus, the fighters use American M2 machine guns, Austrian Steyr automatic rifles, Glock pistols, US-made TOW anti-tank guided missiles, and German 81-mm mortars (six pieces). The Luxembourg army uses MAN vehicles, Humvee SUVs (including the armored M1114), Mercedes-Benz 300GD and Jeep Wrangler.
Luxembourg reconnaissance companies have two special forces platoons, which form part of the so-called rapid deployment forces. There are also gendarmerie units in Luxembourg, which, if necessary, can be called upon to protect the state and assist the army. There are a total of 612 gendarmes in the duchy.
In 1996, a unit of the Luxembourg armed forces became part of the Eurocorps. Luxembourg's military spending is just over $550 million.
Luxembourg took part in several military conflicts.
Thus, in the war in Afghanistan, in the summer of 2003, an infantry unit of ten military personnel was sent to the forces. Also, 23 soldiers of the duchy participated in the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, and women citizens of this state also served there. One of them, Tessie Anthony, later married Prince Louis of Luxembourg. The couple had two sons.
In addition, in 2003, Luxembourg allowed military service in the country's armed forces to citizens of other EU states living in the country for at least 36 months (after completion of service they can obtain Luxembourg citizenship).
As a result, until May 2015, about 300 foreigners enlisted in the Luxembourg armed forces.
The highest military rank in the Luxembourg army is colonel. There is not a single general in this country.
San Marino
With just under 100 men, San Marino's army is one of the smallest in the world.
The main part of the state's armed forces is involved in ceremonial events associated with national holidays and meetings of foreign government delegations.
There is no conscription in this country; all citizens from 16 to 55 years old can be drafted or voluntarily join special military units.
The main military contingent is the palace guard corps. His responsibilities include guarding the Republican Palace, patrolling the country's borders, and assisting the San Marino police. The body has different shapes for different ceremonies, mainly using green and red colors. The military is armed with Austrian-made Glock pistols, as well as Italian Beretta BM59 rifles made in 1959, which the military uses on guard duty.
The San Marino Armed Forces has several units composed of volunteers who devote part of their time to service and part to non-military civilian work.
These include, in particular, the artillery company of the palace guard, whose duties include symbolically firing an old cannon at ceremonial events in the Plaza de la Repubblica in San Marino.
In addition, the state army has a company of paramilitary police, which is intended both to participate in ceremonies and to assist the police and gendarmerie. For parades, policemen are issued old muskets with bayonets and sabers, and for daily service - modern dark blue uniforms and weapons.
Serving in the police is considered an honorable occupation among citizens of the country.
Only those citizens of San Marino who have resided in the state continuously for six years can be enrolled there. The police recruit both men and women, but among the military personnel of this unit, representatives of the stronger sex predominate.
In addition, San Marino has a gendarmerie, which has two brigades. This structure is not directly part of the San Marino army. One brigade is called the criminal police brigade, and the second is the mobile brigade. Gendarmes can be assigned to reinforce the police if necessary to perform tasks related to ensuring state security, or they can be sent to assist soldiers of the palace guard corps to protect the border.
But the armed forces include the state military orchestra, where more than 40 musicians serve.
According to public data, San Marino's defense spending is approximately $700 thousand.
Principality of Monaco
This state, which is second only to the Vatican in area, nevertheless has its own armed forces, which, unlike most countries, are subordinate to the Department of the Interior.
In total, this state has about 255 military personnel and another 35 civilian army personnel.
Some functions of the army in Monaco have been transferred to special police forces, such as guarding the land border and water borders. For this purpose, a marine and helicopter police company has been created. It has, in particular, four patrol boats and two speedboats.
The armed forces directly include the corps of firefighters of Monaco and the company of the Prince of State's Carabinieri.
The main task of the Carabinieri is to protect the prince and the princely palace in Monaco-Ville, located in the old district of Monaco. In addition, members of the corps are involved in the protection of members of the judiciary who administer justice on behalf of the Prince of Monaco.
The carabinieri company also includes special units: a detachment of motorcyclists (for quick response and escort of the princely motorcade), a detachment of scuba divers and a first aid unit. The Carabinieri company also includes a military band, as well as a squad that participates in the traditional changing of the guard at 11.55 at the Prince's Palace of Monaco.
Most carabinieri had previously served in the French armed forces. There is also an agreement on military assistance between the states, according to which official Paris undertakes to provide protection to Monaco in the event of a serious military threat.
And although the military personnel of the principality have not participated in military conflicts for a long time,
in the mid-twentieth century there was a case when the country’s army was put on alert due to worsening relations with France.
The reason was that the leadership of Monaco created a very liberal system for banks and other companies, and French commercial and credit organizations were often registered in Monaco, but operated in the French state. This prevented Paris from collecting taxes from these organizations. This situation, which took place in 1962, is recalled by Jules Richard, who at the time of the events described was working in a branch of a French company in Monte Carlo.
“The fate of Monaco hangs in the balance. French President General de Gaulle threatened to cut off electricity and water supplies to the principality if it did not stop luring bankers to itself and did not introduce an income tax. Eighty Royal Palace carabinieri and 207 Monegasque police officers were alerted. Fortunately, the war did not happen. The prince made concessions...” said Richard. His story was later published in the magazine Around the World.
Malta
The armed forces of this country were formed relatively recently - in 1974, when Malta was declared a republic. The formation of the army began on the basis of an artillery battery located in the ancient fortress of this country.
Now the army of this island state includes land, naval and air force components, which is rare for dwarf states.
True, the Maltese Air Force does not have attack aircraft. They consist of five military transport helicopters and four aircraft carrying out missions to patrol the country's territorial waters.
Malta's ground forces comprise a full-fledged infantry brigade consisting of three battalions. The soldiers and officers of the unit are armed with Italian Beretta 92 pistols, German Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns, Belgian FN-FAL automatic rifles and FN Mini light machine guns. Malta's artillery is represented exclusively by small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Anti-aircraft gunners of this country use 40-mm Swedish Bofors 40 cannons, as well as Soviet ZPU-4 installations.
The Maltese army also has one Chinese-made T-34 tank
and several Italian Iveco and British Breford trucks.
The Maltese navy consists of eight patrol boats and small patrol ships assembled in Australia, the United States and Finland.
The Maltese army is involved in the European Union's Operation Atalanta against pirates operating in the Gulf of Africa, as well as in training the armed forces of Somalia as part of the training program for the military of this state by specialists from the EU.
The Maltese armed forces number about 2 thousand people.
The country's military budget is €42 million.
Iceland
This Scandinavian island nation is the only NATO member to
officially does not have its own armed forces.
However, Iceland has coast guard units, which also includes the country's air defense. It consists of 130 personnel, three patrol ships, one patrol boat, one DHC-8-300 MSA aircraft and three helicopters. The country's air defense consists of four surveillance radars.
Patrolling of Icelandic airspace and other armed protection are provided by the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Vatican
Pope Paul VI disbanded the armed forces in 1970, but in 2002 another pontiff, John Paul II, restored one component of it, the gendarme corps. He is responsible for security, public order, border control, traffic control, criminal investigation and other general police duties in the Vatican.
About 130 people serve there.
The gendarmes are armed with Austrian Glock 17 pistols, Beretta M12 and Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns. In addition, the special forces of the Vatican Gendarmerie use pump-action shotguns of Italian and German production.
To enlist in the Papal Gendarmerie, a person must be between 20 and 25 years of age, have Italian citizenship and at least two years of experience in the Italian police.
The Vatican also has a ceremonial Swiss Guard. This is the military formation of the Pope. However, it is not subject to the structures of the Vatican City State.
In addition, there are two more dwarf states in Europe -
Andorra and Liechtenstein, which deliberately abandoned their own army,
and their protection is carried out by neighboring states.
downloadAbstract on the topic:
Armed Forces of Luxembourg
Plan:
- Introduction
- 1 Historical reference
- 2 Terms of Service
- 3 Statistics
- 4 Troop composition
Introduction
Luxembourg is the only small country in Western Europe that has its own small but real army. This is the smallest army in NATO.
1. Historical background
Before World War II, the duchy did not have its own armed forces. Although, under the terms of the London Treaty of 1867, it had a border guard of 300 people. Immediately after liberation, this country adopted a law on universal conscription. In 1948, the article on neutrality was removed from the constitution, and in 1949 Luxembourg joined NATO. In 1967, compulsory military service was replaced by a recruitment of volunteers.
2. Terms of service
Since 1967, the Luxembourg army has been staffed on a voluntary basis by citizens of both sexes aged 17 to 25 years.
The social conditions of service are very attractive. Recruiting the army is not difficult; there are many more people willing than there are vacancies. This allows for careful selection. For each month, a soldier with a very abundant allowance is transferred to a bank account at least $ 800 ($ 9600 per year). In addition, after 18 months of service, he receives five thousand dollars for civilian accommodation. And that's not all: after serving, a citizen can apply for a number of positions in the police, security and safety services, forestry, customs and post office.
3. Statistics
Luxembourg soldiers on parade
Military budget $256 million (2004).
Regular armed forces - 900 people.
Paramilitary forces: gendarmerie - 612 people.
4. Troop composition
In the 1990s. In 2005, the combat strength of the ground forces was as follows:
900 people, light infantry fighting units, 2 reconnaissance companies (1 was allocated to the Belgian division, part of the “Eurocorps”).
Armament: 6 81-mm mortars, 6 PU ATGM TOU, American Hummer armored cars, German Gelendevagen jeeps and heavy machine guns.
Air Force: no, but officially registered with NATO (17 E-ZAAMAZ aircraft, 2 Boeing 707). (Data from the journal “Foreign Military Review” No. 1 for 2006).
The army also has an honor guard company, which is often mistaken for the entire Luxembourg army.
downloadThis abstract is based on an article from the Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed 07/11/11 08:49:12
Similar abstracts: US Armed Forces,
Western European country located in the spurs of the Ardennes between Belgium, Germany and France. The county and then the Duchy of Luxembourg arose in 963, but received full independence only in 1890. Currently, despite the insignificant territory (less than 1000 km2) and population (approximately 430,000 people, of which about 148,000 are foreigners), even by European standards, it is one of the most economically prosperous states in the world, pursuing an active foreign policy.
The history of the armed forces (AF) of the duchy dates back to 1817, when auxiliary troops were created in Luxembourg, which was part of a union with the Netherlands, which were later transformed into Luxembourg Rifles Corps and then in corps of gendarmes and volunteers. In 1940, Grand Duchess Charlotte, the government of the country, as well as some of the soldiers and officers of the corps left Luxembourg occupied by Nazi troops. In Great Britain and the USA, patriots of a small country took part in the struggle for the liberation of Europe. Since August 1944, as part of the Belgian Liberation brigade, an artillery battery manned by Luxembourg volunteers operated on the Western Front, and the head of state, Grand Duke Jean, joined the ranks of the British armed forces and fought in units of the Irish Guard until the end of the war.
In the post-war period, marked for Luxembourg by the abandonment of the policy of neutrality, the creation, together with Belgium and the Netherlands, of a union Benelux, with accession to the UN, NATO and the Western European Union (WEU), national armed forces began to be actively used to protect the interests of the country outside its borders and demonstrate commitment to allied obligations. Until 1955, there was a Luxembourg battalion in the French occupation zone in Germany. About 150 volunteers fought in Korea as part of Belgian units, where the duchy suffered losses for the first and only time in the post-war history.
Since 1992, units of the Luxembourg Armed Forces have participated in the operations of the multinational force (MNF) in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the spring of 2000, the Belgian battalion, which was part of the multinational brigade “North” in Kosovo, after the inclusion of a platoon (23 people) arriving from Luxembourg, was transformed into the Belgian-Luxembourg battalion BELUKOS.
Currently, the Luxembourg Armed Forces are represented and, together with the gendarmerie and the police, are part of the “public forces” intended to ensure the security of the state.
According to the constitution, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces is the Grand Duke. Issues of administrative management of the Armed Forces are the responsibility of the Minister of Defense - a civilian official who combines several government posts. Operational command is exercised by the chief of staff with the rank of colonel. The total strength of the armed forces is more than 800 military personnel, as well as 100 civilian specialists, but the full staffing table provides for the presence of 1,150 people. The combat structure includes a military center (a separate infantry battalion) stationed in the city of Diekirch.
In 1997, military reform began in Luxembourg, designed for the period until 2002 and aimed at bringing the armed forces into line with the new military-political situation in Europe. In determining the priorities of military development, the country's leadership proceeded from the fact that currently the greatest threat to national security is the risk of destabilization of the situation outside the territories of NATO member states. An important direction of the reform is to ensure the participation of the Luxembourg Armed Forces in the activities of the military structures of the WEU, and in the future - the European Union.
In this regard, the country's military doctrine, formulated in the law of August 2, 1997, stipulates that the army must be prepared to solve problems of both a national and international nature.
The first include: defense of the territory of the duchy (independently and jointly with allies); protection and defense of important government facilities; participation in providing assistance to the population in emergency situations; training of personnel for some government agencies. Tasks of an international nature are: participation in the collective defense of countries - members of military-political alliances, which include Luxembourg (NATO, WEU), as well as in MNF operations aimed at restoring and maintaining peace, providing humanitarian assistance to the population; monitoring compliance with treaties on the limitation of conventional arms concluded by Luxembourg with other states.
As a result of the military reform, the organizational structure of the military (previously training) center in Diekirch, which is the basis of the national armed forces, was changed. Currently, it includes: a directorate, two reconnaissance companies (previously there was only one), a training company, a logistics service, a medical and pharmaceutical service, a group for ensuring the stay of foreign military delegations, a group of inspectors and observers, a sports team, and a military orchestra. At the same time, one of the reconnaissance companies is intended to be allocated to the NATO RRF, and the other to the “European corps”. Luxembourg units in multinational groups are traditionally transferred to the subordination of the commanders of the Belgian units.
Each reconnaissance company includes three platoons: two reconnaissance and an anti-tank. In total, it has over 80 personnel, 16 armored vehicles, four anti-tank systems, and 12 heavy machine guns. If used as part of the MNF, combat units are assigned a technical support group from the corresponding service of the military center.
The training company is a unit that has no analogues in the armed forces of other NATO countries. It is intended to prepare soldiers completing their service to continue military education with the subsequent passing of exams for employment in the police, gendarmerie, customs, prison security service, postal and telegraph service, forestry, etc. The program provides for the study of foreign languages , computer science, social and natural sciences. The course, depending on the general educational level of the student, is designed for 6 - 12 months (up to 30 hours of classes per week). Classes are taught by civilian specialists.
The medical and pharmaceutical service is intended to provide emergency medical care to military personnel, as well as to organize their outpatient treatment. If hospitalization is necessary, the wounded and sick are sent to civilian hospitals.
Since 1967, the national armed forces have been recruited on a voluntary basis. Men and women aged 17 to 25 who are citizens of Luxembourg, unmarried and without medical contraindications can enroll in military service. Candidates undergo preliminary testing to determine their educational level and physical fitness. The initial contract is for 18 months, six of which are a probationary period. Basic military training lasts three months. With the consent of the parties, the contract can be extended for a period of one to ten years, but the total duration of service for ordinary personnel is limited to 15 years.
Persons who have expressed a desire to continue serving as non-commissioned officers, after completing training in a training company, are sent to the non-commissioned officer schools of the Belgian Armed Forces, located in the cities of Arlon (infantry school) and Leopoldsburg (armored cavalry school).
Candidates for admission to the officer corps are selected from among civilian youth and, after preliminary testing, have the opportunity to enter higher military educational institutions in Belgium and France. If necessary, officers continue their training at courses and at military academies of various member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as at the NATO Military College in Rome.
Luxembourg legislation does not provide for the presence of discharged military personnel in the reserve and the mobilization of those liable for military service. Currently, the creation of a voluntary reserve consisting of officers and non-commissioned officers has begun, but it is planned to attract reservists to fill a small number of positions. The country's armed forces are experiencing difficulties in recruiting rank and file personnel. Up to 200 positions (about 17 percent of the staff) of this category of military personnel remain vacant. To increase the attractiveness of military service, the legislation provides for compensation for the relatively low level of pay for soldiers (from 650 to 1200 dollars per month depending on the length of service) by payment of severance pay ($150 per month of service), full state support and various additional benefits: pay medical and social insurance, exemption from income tax, the opportunity to study during the period of service, and the provision of preferential rights to employment in government agencies. In addition, the command proposed allowing foreigners living in Luxembourg to serve in the armed forces.
The country's annual military budget, exceeding $162 million (less than 1 percent of GDP), is spent primarily on financing the current activities of the Armed Forces. At the same time, it makes it possible to successfully implement a five-year army rearmament program, for which $15.5 million has been allocated since 1997. Most of this amount ($9.8 million) was used to purchase Hummer HMMWV all-terrain vehicles in armored and conventional versions, modern communications equipment (4 million), as well as to replace outdated Belgian-made 5.62-mm small arms automatic rifles from the Austrian company Steyer. In addition, they are armed with TOU ATGMs, 81 mm mortars, 12.7 mm machine guns, Mercedes jeeps and 4-ton MAN trucks.
The Luxembourg leadership views the army as one of the most important institutions of a sovereign state and pays considerable attention to its development. It is noted that the country’s limited military potential predetermines its dependence on Western European allies and the United States in matters of ensuring external security. However, the contribution to collective defense, although symbolic in nature, makes Luxembourg a full member of NATO and the WEU, increasing its international authority.
3.5k (21 per week)
Among the small states of Europe, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a small but regular army. Today the Luxembourg military unit is the smallest in NATO.
History of the development of the army
In 1817, when Luxembourg entered into a union with the Netherlands, additional troops were created, from which the Luxembourg Riflemen Corps was formed. After some time, they were transformed into a unit of gendarmes and volunteers. Even before the outbreak of World War II, Luxembourg did not have its own military forces. Although, under the London Treaty, the state had a border guard of 300 people. After the military liberation, the government decided on the existence of a mandatory army. Since 1948, changes were made to the constitution of the state, the article on neutrality was removed from the document. Since 1949, Luxembourg has been a member of NATO. Since 1967, changes have been made to the mandatory recruitment and the army began to recruit volunteers. From the same period, women and men aged 17 to 25 began to voluntarily call for service.
Features of the army in Luxembourg
At present, the military unit of Luxembourg is represented by ground forces, which, together with the police and gendarmerie, are engaged in maintaining public order. The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the Grand Duke. All administrative issues are decided by the Minister of Defense. The annual budget for maintaining the army exceeds $160 million.
In Luxembourg the army has attractive social conditions. All positions are filled by volunteers without much difficulty. There are a large number of people wishing to serve, this allows for a careful selection. The soldiers are fully supported by the state, but in addition they receive cash payments to bank cards. The service lasts 1.5 years, after which the soldiers are paid a certain amount of money for civilian amenities. The service also makes it possible to subsequently apply for positions in security, police, forestry, and security services.
Regular military forces number 900 people, including two reconnaissance companies and a pedestrian battalion. The weapons include mortars, American armored cars, heavy machine guns, and transport equipment. There is no air force in the Luxembourg army; they are officially part of NATO.
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