A look at the Defence news 16 December - 5 January
The hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Luymes is to be the flagship of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 for the next four months.
This is one of the two permanent NATO fleets made up of mine countermeasures vessels. One of the main tasks of these fleets is to clear explosives. This is done in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
HNLMS Tromp departs to monitor security
HNLMS Tromp is the flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). This is one of four NATO maritime forces available 24/7 for NATO missions. SNMG1 operates mainly in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is noteworthy that a Dutch commander will be in charge of the maritime group for almost the whole of 2025.
Netherlands strongly committed to protecting Ukrainian cultural heritage
The Netherlands is to contribute some €370,000 to the protection of cultural heritage in Ukraine. The decision was made by the Netherlands ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Education, Culture and Science. The donation is a direct result of a UNESCO conference held in The Hague in May 2024.
Minister: ‘A secure and stable Iraq is important for the region and for the Netherlands’
Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans visited the Dutch units in Iraq over Christmas. ‘A stable and safe Iraq is of great importance, for the region and for the Netherlands’, he said. The NATO mission in Iraq is currently under command of the Dutch officer Lieutenant General Cas Schreurs. Brekelmans also met with the Iraqi ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs. In addition, the schedule included talks with the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Minister of Peshmerga Affairs.