"NATO's "War Room" in Mons to be reconstructed for 1 billion euros"
Kyiv • UNN
The Cold War-era complex housing NATO's top commanders in Mons will get a new building by 2030. Construction of the facility for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe will begin in May 2026.
The Cold War-era complex, which houses NATO's top commanders and planners in Mons, Belgium, is expected to get a new building by 2030, Euractiv reports, UNN writes.
Details
Construction of a new facility for the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe is scheduled to begin in May 2026. SHAPE, as it is known in the military alliance, is where senior officials coordinate operations and plan defense and deterrence.
"It is the team in Wallonia that is tasked with preparing for war with Russia," the publication writes.
But the facility has hardly changed since it was built in 1967 - and a lot has happened since then.
While senior management and diplomats working at NATO headquarters north of Brussels enjoy the modern amenities of a brand new €1 billion building, including a gym and shopping mall, SHAPE staff continue to work from facilities originally designed as temporary.
The site was built in the 1960s when NATO moved from France.
Since then, it has been operating with older infrastructure - until December last year, when NATO members approved funding for a long-overdue new military command center.
The green light was given after 10 years spent correcting the requirements for everything inside the buildings, from size to security.
The current complex has "exceeded its expected lifespan" and "SHAPE needs new and modern facilities to be able to operate effectively in the future," a spokesman for the organization told Euractiv.
The new "home" for the military alliance's top commanders will cost approximately €800 million, and this is the only figure officially approved by participants so far.
This price does not include other necessary costs, such as a new communication and information system estimated at €110 million, as well as transition measures, parking spaces and more.
The overhaul is not just a physical relocation. The transition from one building to another will be "more than just moving personnel," the spokesman said.
The redesign of the headquarters is a lengthy process that initially began in 2013. Belgian authorities plan to complete construction by May 2030, a SHAPE spokesman told Euractiv.
However, according to the source, it will not be completed until May 2033, after the old buildings are demolished and converted into parking spaces.
