- WIADOMOŚCI
The Netherlands is creating drone units for all divisions
As the first in NATO, the Dutch Army will establish drone and anti-drone units for all combat formations.
Starting in April, the Dutch Ministry of Defence plans to recruit between 1,000 and 1,200 specialists. According to the Chief of Defence, Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, the creation of these forces is a response to lessons learned from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Drones and anti-drone systems now play a much greater role on the battlefield than before. “It’s a completely different kind of interaction. We must continuously modernise and adapt the system,” emphasised Gen. Eichelsheim. This marks the first instance of such extensive use of drones within a NATO member state’s armed forces.
The Dutch Armed Forces consist of approximately 40,000 active-duty soldiers. In addition, there are 7,500 trained civilians active in military groups and about 7,000 reservists. The Netherlands is also increasing its overall defense spending. Last year, the government approved an increase in defence expenditures to 3.5 percent of GDP.
