A look at the Defence news 18-23 February
By 4 February, the total value of Dutch military support to Ukraine, consisting of materiel and goods, had reached €5.88 billion. Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans informed the House of Representatives accordingly last week.
HNLMS Groningen intercepts almost 3 tonnes of cocaine after chase
HNLMS Groningen made a major drugs haul in its first week of patrol. On 2 February, the naval vessel intercepted nearly 3,000 kilos of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea after an intensive chase. During the operation, the drug boat's engine was shot to pieces and 5 smugglers were arrested. This was announced last week.
Minister Brekelmans warns of devastating Russian aggression
During his ‘Europe’ lecture in Maastricht last week, Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans gave the following warning: “We must act now. And Europe has only one chance to do this right.” Brekelmans went on to stress that the continent could not count on protection from the United States, and that Europe had to earn this protection, adding that we don't have much time left.
Over 70,000 Ukrainian military personnel have received training in Europe
The EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) is one of the pillars of EU support to Ukraine. Last week, Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans was in Germany, where he visited several EUMAM training locations. So far, EU member states have trained more than 70,000 Ukrainian military personnel.
Wreck of 1925 Dutch submarine discovered off the Australian coast
Last week, the wreck of the sunken Dutch submarine HNLMS K XI was discovered off the coast of Western Australia. A team of deep-sea divers from Perth had already found the submarine in January, but the wreck had yet to be identified. It turned out that it was indeed the Royal Netherlands Navy submarine that was built in 1925.
Dutch MQ-9 Reapers will be flying over NATO's eastern flank for another year
The Netherlands is contributing two unarmed MQ-9 Reapers stationed in Romania to the defence of NATO's eastern flank for another year. The unmanned aircraft are deployed to gather intelligence. A third aircraft will be returned to the Netherlands, thus creating more space for national operations. Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans informed the House of Representatives accordingly last week.
RNLN commander explores security options for the region in Colombia
The Royal Netherlands Navy is intensifying cooperation with the Colombian Navy in the Caribbean. This cooperation covers areas such as regional security, cross-border crime and humanitarian aid. The two navies have recently also started to share information and coordinate their exercises. RNLN Commander Vice Admiral René Tas visited his Colombian counterpart last week to consolidate the ties between the two countries.