Belgium's navy was never built for imperial defense

How long would Belgium need to rebuild a navy capable of defending its empire after 1939?

It would be building that capability for the first time, and the answer would depend entirely on a major new funding commitment.

The panel challenges the word rebuild because Belgium had never created a navy able to defend its empire. Its maritime service remained a secondary or tertiary claimant in national funding. Even coastal defense exceeded what the small force could guarantee by itself. Building an imperial navy after 1939 would therefore require a new political and financial commitment, not restoration of a recently lost capability.