A look at the Defence news 29 January – 4 February
The Netherlands and Ukraine share knowledge about innovation in the armed forces
The Netherlands is supporting Ukraine not only with military materiel but also with knowledge and innovation. A Ukrainian delegation exchanged knowledge with Dutch Defence colleagues. Another purpose of the visit was to gain deeper insight into the Dutch defence industry. In the future, this could lead to even better support for the war-torn country.
The Netherlands allocates € 122 million for ammunition, materiel and cyber security in Ukraine
The Netherlands will contribute € 87 million to the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine. € 25 million will be deposited into the International Fund for Ukraine to buy materiel. In addition, the Dutch government will allocate € 10 million to improve Ukrainian cyber defences. The Netherlands Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, informed the House of Representatives accordingly last week.
Germany, the Netherlands and Poland want to be able to quickly move military personnel and equipment
Germany, the Netherlands and Poland want to make it easier for military troops to move around in each other's countries. To this end, the ministers of defence of the 3 countries signed a letter of intent for a so-called military corridor last week. They hope that other member states will follow their example.
Defence ministers met in Brussels to discuss support to Ukraine and scaling up defence industry
During the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the ministers of defence had 2 important subjects on the agenda. They discussed the EU's military support to Ukraine and the need to scale up the production capacity of the European defence industry. The Netherlands remains committed to both issues.
10 years of marines on Leeward Islands
It is exactly 10 years since the first marine detachment arrived at the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The marines guarantee security at and from the sea on the Leeward Islands. This is done, for example, in emergency situations or to support the local population. The past decade has seen many changes, and the future plans for the island are even more ambitious.
Dutch minehunter departed for NATO deployment
On 28 January, minehunter HNLMS Zierikzee took to the sea to join a minehunter squadron of the NATO fleet SNMCMG1. One of this fleet's main tasks is to defuse any explosives in the sea.