On 13 September, a service was held at the Bronbeek Estate in Arnhem in commemoration of the victims of the Japanese sea transports during the Second World War.
From May 1942, prisoners of war and civilian internees endured appalling conditions during transports on Japanese "hell ships" to various work and prisoner-of-war camps in Asia.
Man and technology reinforce each other during Bold Quest
Over the past few weeks, more than 250 Dutch military personnel and civilians participated in Exercise Bold Quest 2026 in the American state of Michigan. During this large-scale exercise, they tested the latest technologies developed to act faster and smarter on the modern battlefield. They did this together with allies from more than 20 countries.
HNLMS Groningen back in Den Helder
On Friday 11 September, the navy vessel HNLMS Groningen was welcomed by friends and families of the crew in its home port of Den Helder. The patrol ship served as a guard ship in the Caribbean for 3 months. HNLMS Friesland has taken now over the guard ship duties. This ship will patrol the region over the coming months and will also stand ready to provide emergency assistance.
Netherlands signs agreement with Sweden to procure GlobalEye
The Netherlands and Sweden have signed a letter of intent for the procurement of a Saab GlobalEye. The GlobalEye is an advanced military reconnaissance aircraft that is capable of monitoring air, sea, and land activities over long distances from high altitudes.
Finnish defence delegation visits TNO
Last week, the Finnish Chief of Defence, General Janne Jaakkola, paid the Netherlands armed forces a two-day visit, aimed at further strengthening and extending the relationship between the two countries’ armed forces. A visit to the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) was part of the programme in order to take a closer look at the technological developments that contribute to European security and resilience.
Netherlands contributes €250 million to drones for Ukraine
The Netherlands is investing a further € 250 million to supply drones to the Ukrainian armed forces. The investment concerns a redistribution of funding that was previously earmarked for military support and brings the total sum of Dutch contributions to the Drone Line Initiative to €1 billion. Netherlands Minister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius announced the investment on 8 September at a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting. The Netherlands also supplies additional ammunition for the F-16 fighter aircraft in Ukraine.
International agreements on autonomous weapons systems
From 31 August to 4 September, 128 countries held negotiations on ‘killer robots’ in Geneva. These weapons can autonomously identify, select, and attack targets by using artificial intelligence, without human intervention. In the weekend of 5 and 6 September, the participating countries reached a consensus on a non-binding framework that defines and sets out common principles regarding these weapons.
RNLN swaps ships for potential Hormuz mission
The air defence and command frigate HNLMS De Ruyter and the minehunter HNLMS Willemstad are returning to the Netherlands. At the same time, the frigate HNLMS Evertsen will soon be leaving for the Middle East. This rotation ensures operational readiness and keeps options open for a later deployment in the Strait of Hormuz.