A look at the Defence news 9 - 15 September
The first Ukrainian military personnel to be trained as F-16 pilots started their training in Romania this month. They are currently taking a theory course at the European F-16 training centre at Fetesti Air Base.
The Netherlands was one of the countries to set up the initiative and also makes F-16s available for pilot training. As it stands, 14 out of a total of 18 F-16s have arrived at the air base.
Minister Brekelmans: “Artificial intelligence agreements in the military domain are both necessary and in our interest”
At last week's summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) in Seoul, Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans said that the use of artificial intelligence in the military domain must be brought into line with international law and regulations. The Minister added that, at the same time, this must not stand in the way of innovation, and that we should be realistic about compliance with agreements.
HNLMS Holland makes two drugs hauls
On 6 September, HNLMS Holland twice intercepted large drugs caches in the Caribbean, amounting to a total of 3,700 kilos. On both occasions, military personnel fired at the engine of the suspect boats to force the smugglers to stop.
Minehunter joins NATO fleet straight after exercise
At the start of this month, HNLMS Willemstad, the diving vessel HNLMS Hydra and the Defence Diving Group searched for sea mines off the Belgian coast for 10 days. They did this together with NATO allies during the Sandy Coast 24 mine countermeasures exercise. Immediately after the exercise, HNLMS Willemstad set course for the Baltic Sea to join NATO’s SNMCMG1.
Relatives updated on expedition to WWII shipwrecks in Malaysia
During a meeting last week, relatives of the crew members of two sunken Dutch submarines were told that the Netherlands is making every effort to protect the wreck sites in Malaysian waters as the last resting place of the crews. The submarines in question are HNLMS 020 and HNLMS KXVI, which were both lost in 1941 in the fighting with Japan in the Second World War.
Defence personnel find human remains in wreck of British bomber
On 13 September, Defence personnel found human remains during the recovery of Vickers Wellington HE346. The Royal Air Force aircraft crashed near the town of Holwert in the province of Friesland on 26 June 1943. The remains were transferred for identification to the laboratory of the Royal Netherlands Army Recovery and Identification Service in Soesterberg.