A look at the Defence news 6 – 11 April

Suriname and the Netherlands are to restart their military cooperation. This was the outcome of the talks that the Netherlands Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, held with her Surinamese counterpart, Krishna Mathoera. Minister Bijleveld paid a visit to Suriname from 7 to 10 April, following an invitation from the Surinamese government. 

Enlarge image Aaron Zwaal’s winning photograph in the ‘Feature’ category.
Aaron Zwaal’s winning photograph in the ‘Feature’ category.

Invictus Games to be held in The Hague in April next year

The 2020 Invictus Games will be held from 16 to 22 April next year in the Zuiderpark in The Hague. The international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women has already been cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Major relocation of US military materiel completed

Some 1,200 vehicles and containers as well as 54 helicopters from a brigade of the US 101st Airborne Division are currently heading for their home base in Kentucky by ship. The ship departed from the port of Rotterdam, part of which had been designated a Temporary Military Object. The transit operation through the Netherlands progressed very rapidly and smoothly, thanks to support from the Dutch military. This is known as Host Nation Support.

MoD photographers win prestigious prizes

Sergeant Aaron Zwaal and Sergeant Major Hille Hillinga won 3 awards and received an honourable mention at the Military Visual Awards. In this prestigious American photography competition, a jury of 3 selects the world’s best military photos and videos. Zwaal and Hillinga are combat photographers with the Defence Media Centre.