Belgian police have bought new anti-terror weapons, but there is a problem: ‘Firma does not want to supply ammunition’ | Abroad

“There is indeed a problem,” says Nicolaes Paelinck, the chairman of the Standing Commission for the Local Police. “The company that would supply us with the American ammunition has informed us that due to the increased price of copper, the extra corona and transport costs, they can no longer supply the agreed price. We have filed a notice of default on the company.”

It concerns hundreds of thousands of bullets: a contract of one million euros over a period of seven years. As mentioned, the bullets would serve for the Scar submachine gun that was purchased in 2019. That weapon was purchased after the terrorist attacks in Zaventem and Brussels and was then described in the media as “the weapon that will be used against the terrorists.” The weapons have now been delivered, but the ammunition will not follow.

“System Weakness”

Carlo Medo of the NSPV union denounces the situation. “It is apparently extremely difficult and complicated to bring such public tenders to a successful conclusion. The rules need to be simpler, because that way we can’t respond to current threats. This is really a system weakness.”

The same sound can be heard with Joery Dehaes of the ACV. “We are five years after the attacks and we have no bullets for our ‘anti-terror weapon’? Very sorry. Hopefully there will be a plan B soon so that training of the federal police officers with these Scar weapons can still be started quickly, because that too is now on hold.”

Nicolas Paelinck says that as far as the local forces are concerned, the problem is less acute. “We manage with small orders with the necessary ammunition. But it is not impossible that we will have to order our large lot of ammunition elsewhere.”

The federal police also regret the state of affairs. “We were just about to start training the shooting instructors with the Scars. Now we have to go back to older weapons like the Uzi until there is a solution,” the spokeswoman said.

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