Netherlands to spend up to €3 billion on counter-drone systems
The Dutch Defence Ministry has announced plans to spend between €1.25 billion and €3 billion to strengthen counter-drone capabilities, including additional air defence systems, interceptor drones, radars and systems to counter small UAVs, amid a growing number of drone sightings in Europe.
According to NL Times, the protection of naval vessels against drone attacks will also be reinforced.
Earlier this year, the Dutch Defence Ministry announced the purchase of 22 Skyranger 30 mobile counter-drone systems, the first of which is expected to be delivered in 2028.
The announcement came after repeated drone sightings over Dutch military bases. Last week, drones were reported over Eindhoven and Volkel air bases, prompting the Dutch Defence Ministry for the first time to open fire on drones, using both electronic countermeasures and live weapons.
Earlier this month, a drone was spotted above the control tower at Gilze-Rijen air base. A subsequent investigation by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee military police did not identify those responsible, and a few weeks before that another drone had been detected at the same base.
Acting State Secretary Gijs Tuinman described the incidents involving unidentified drones as "very worrying".
"The effective use of unmanned systems and protection against them is a game of cat and mouse that requires rapid innovation and scaling up," he noted.
Earlier, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany would not build up stockpiles of drones in preparation for a possible war with the Russian Federation, despite the war in Ukraine having demonstrated the importance of this type of weaponry.
