A look at the Defence news 9 – 15 December
Naval vessel HNLMS Holland recently intercepted a cocaine transport of 511 kilos in the Caribbean Sea.
This took place on 24 November, but was only announced on 9 December. During the interception, targeted shots were fired at the engines of the drugs boat.
Dutch F-35s intercept Russian aircraft over Baltic Sea
Last week, Dutch F-35s stationed in Estonia intercepted three Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. This was the first action of the fighter jets since they started guarding NATO airspace over Eastern Europe from an air base in Estonia.
Benelux countries to share means of transport
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are to make more effective and efficient use of each other's military mobility. This includes sharing aircraft, trains, ships and trucks.
Dutch F-16s given new purpose: pilot training in Romania
The Netherlands intends to formally transfer the 18 remaining F-16s to Romania. The fighter jets will be stationed at the European F-16 training centre (EFTC) in that country. They will be used to, among other things, train Ukrainian pilots. The Netherlands no longer operates the aircraft since switching to the modern F-35.