The government wants to buy billions worth of new weapons in the near future. Defense Minister Christophe van der Maat announced in his letters to the House of Representatives that new naval ships will be ordered. The army, air force and navy also received new missile systems.
For example, the army will once again have access to its own rocket artillery to more precisely eliminate enemy targets. The Israeli heart rate system will be delivered later this year. This can hit targets further away than today’s self-propelled howitzers, which cannot reach more than 50 kilometers.
Van der Maat could also opt for the American Himars system, but the Puls can carry more rockets and will soon be suitable for ammunition produced in Europe as well. Van der Maat writes that the Danes also bought the Israeli system and Germany was interested.
Disable bunkers
Investments are necessary because the war in Ukraine showed the need for more fire support. From the sea and from the air, the armed forces currently do not have enough powerful and wide-ranging weapons, for example, to render bunkers unusable.
That’s why Dutch submarines, frigates and F35 warplanes are equipped with long-range weapons capable of doing this. Navy ships are armed with cruise missiles. American Tomahawks are preferred over other systems on the market as they are the only systems with a range of 1000 kilometers.
An American weapon system from Lockheed was chosen for the F35, which has a range of about 1000 kilometers. NATO partners Germany, Finland and Poland are also getting this weapon.
“With the new systems, the Ministry of Defense lays the foundation for NATO’s combined warfare capability and deterrence. The Netherlands shows that they are taking responsibility by making a strong contribution.” He estimates that the total cost of the missile systems will be between 2 and 3.25 billion euros.
frigates
Also, by 2029, the Navy should have two new frigates to detect and fight submarines. They have to replace two M-Frigates that have expired. The ships are part of a joint project with the Belgians, who will also purchase two.
The first frigate was originally supposed to depart in 2025, but the project turned out to be more complex than expected. Ships also became significantly more expensive. According to Van der Maat, costs have increased due to the corona epidemic and the war in Ukraine. Also, an adjustment has been made to make ships quieter and more shock resistant.
The purchase of the two frigates is worth about 1.9 billion euros. They were built by the Dutch shipbuilder Damen. Dutch Thales will again supply the radar and fire control systems.
At the request of the House of Representatives, the two new naval ships will be named after the women who played an important role in the liberation of the Netherlands. It is not yet known which women were involved.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
