
Caption
Ceremonial soldiers parade during the 79th anniversary of the Victory Day in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2024. (Sefa Karacan via Getty Images)
Head of the European Union Desk
Captain (Navy) Hans Huygens is head of the European Union desk under the assistant chief of staff, strategy, and international relations of the Belgian Defence Staff.
Captain (Navy) Hans Huygens is head of the European Union desk under the assistant chief of staff, strategy, and international relations of the Belgian Defence Staff. In this role, he covers all EU-related defense issues. Previously, as the commanding officer of the Belgian Navy frigate Louise-Marie, he participated in the EU counter-piracy operation Atalanta. He helped plan this mission while serving as a strategic operations planner at the EU Military Staff in Brussels. His navy career spanned 30 years, including 10 years aboard warships.