A look at the Defence news 6 - 12 October
The Royal Netherlands Navy has escorted a Russian submarine and support tug through the North Sea.
The ships came from the Mediterranean and a British naval vessel had escorted them through the English Channel. Once the ships arrived in Dutch waters, HNLMS Luymes took over this task from the British.
Permanent drone test area over North Sea in sight
Last week, Netherlands State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman signed a cooperation agreement for a permanent drone test area over the North Sea. This was done at the Unmanned Valley drone test centre at the former Valkenburg naval air station. Drones are indispensable for military use, but are also very useful for transporting medication or organs between hospitals. They can also be used to check dikes, bridges and wind turbines, provide disaster relief and rescue services and transport parcels to remote or hard-to-reach areas. Thanks to the test area, the Netherlands will become one of the frontrunners in Europe in the field of drones.
Investigation into circumstances surrounding bombed merchant ship Van Imhoff finalised
The government regrets the attitude of the Dutch authorities after the Japanese attack on merchant ship Van Imhoff in 1942. No proper rescue efforts were made. The government apologises for this omission, and for the fact that the actions of the Dutch authorities were never accounted for. After the bombardment, the Dutch crew and guards left the sinking ship, leaving the close to 500 German civilian internees behind in the ship’s hold. 411 of them died.
Infantry have started their mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Since 7 October, Netherlands military personnel have been part of the European force Eufor Althea in Bosna and Herzegovina. The Dutch contribution consists of up to 175 airmobile infantry and support personnel who are part of a multinational battalion. The aim is to promote security and stability in the Western Balkans.