A look at the Defence news 23 - 29 June
The NATO allies agreed to increase the Defence Investment Plan commitment. It was agreed that henceforth 3.5 percent of gross domestic product is to be spent on defence, plus an additional 1.5 percent on relevant expenses.
At the NATO summit in The Hague, the heads of government of all 32 allies signed the agreement, which is known as The Hague Pledge.
Forum at NATO summit focuses on strong defence industry
“If you want peace, prepare for war. Make your defences so strong, that no one dares to attack you. Today, NATO’s military edge is being aggressively challenged by a rapidly rearming Russia. That is why we need to unite, innovate and deliver.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said these words during his Keynote Speech at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) last week. At the summit, defence ministers and industry representatives discussed concrete solutions to accelerate the scale-up and strengthening of the defence industry. The NSDIF focused on 3 main themes: demand aggregation, financing and innovation.
General Eichelsheim: “Preventing war through credible deterrence”
“We live and work in a time of geopolitical tension and war on European soil. By standing strong together as NATO allies, we can prevent war.” This was the key message of the speech by Netherlands Chief of Defence General Onno Eichelsheim. The General spoke to a group of his counterparts from close to 20 NATO countries in The Hague last week.
100 drone detection radars in new aid package for Ukraine
The Netherlands is to donate 100 additional drone detection radars to Ukraine. The new aid package of around €175 million will also include vehicles for medical transport and extra money for drones. This is in addition to contracts signed last week with Ukrainian industry to produce drones in a project to which €500 million have been committed. Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans announced this last week prior to the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in The Hague.
Belgium and the Netherlands donate first minehunters to Ukraine
The Belgian minehunter BNS Narcis and the Dutch HNLMS Vlaardingen were recently transferred to Ukraine during a ceremony at the Belgian naval base at Zeebrugge. This news is only being made public now for operational safety reasons. “The mine hunters will enter a new chapter, under a new flag, with a new mission,” Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans said.
End of contribution to Force Protection in Iraq
The Dutch Force Protection contribution to the NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI) has officially come to an end. This task has now been taken over by another country. The last group of military personnel has returned to the Netherlands.
Engineers set up military ferry service with international colleagues
Last week, over 1,000 military personnel from Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands conducted a temporary military ferry service across the Rhine. This River Crossing Operation took place close to the German town of Emmerich, just across the border near Lobith. The countries reviewed their preparedness and strengthened international cooperation. The transport across the water was part of this.