A look at the Defence news 21 - 27 July
Dutch marines are currently participating in the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia and the United States are leading the multinational exercise, which will last until 4 August. A total of 30,000 military personnel are taking part in Talisman Sabre.
Netherlands trains African military personnel through European initiative
The Netherlands contributes military and civilian experts to the European Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea. This initiative was set up by the EU in 2023, together with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin. These countries are facing a growing threat of terrorism in their northern regions. The aim is to help them protect themselves against this development by strengthening their security services. By initiating this type of cooperation, the EU intends to prevent instability from spreading across West Africa and into Europe.
Netherlands wishes to contribute to American air support for Ukraine
The Netherlands intends to make a substantial contribution to the American initiative to provide additional air defence capabilities to Ukraine. This was announced by the Netherlands Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, during an online meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group last week. The exact details of the Dutch contribution will be worked out in the short term. This will be done in close coordination with NATO, the US and other allied countries.