On November 25, the Dutch Ministry of Defence outlined a significant expansion of its C-UAS capabilities in response to growing drone threats across Europe. In a letter to Parliament, State Secretary of Defence Gijs Tuinman detailed new measures aimed at strengthening national and NATO security.
Urgent Need for C-UAS
The letter cites recent incidents involving Russian drones in Poland and Romania, as well as detections over critical infrastructure in the Netherlands. Tuinman wrote:
“The ongoing war in Ukraine, the threat from the East, and developments in the Middle East further demonstrate that the importance of UAS on the battlefield continues to grow. The need for C-UAS capability to combat unmanned systems is significant.”
New Combat Platforms
Under the ‘Procurement of Combat Counter-UAS’ project, the Netherlands will acquire additional mobile combat C-UAS systems ahead of the delivery of Skyranger30 anti-drone cannon systems. These platforms will use military-off-the-shelf components, including:
- Armored wheeled vehicles
- Remote Controlled Weapon Systems (RCWS)
- Ammunition and C4I assets
The systems will be integrated with industry partners into operational air defense solutions. They will remain in service even after Skyranger systems are introduced.
Broader Investments
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is also:
- Expanding the Skyranger program with static and mobile anti-drone cannon systems for critical infrastructure protection.
- Acquiring IRIS radars to enable operational drone intervention teams by 2025.
- Adding light all-terrain patrol vehicles with RCWS under the FLATM PV project.
- Strengthening the extended All Arms Air Defence (eAAAD) toolbox with portable and vehicle-mounted C-UAS systems.
- Investing in interceptor drones under the Procurement of Unmanned Systems project.
Budget and Timeline
The total investment falls between €1 billion and €2.5 billion at 2025 price levels. Funding comes from the Defence investment budget and supplementary resources allocated in the Spring Budget 2025. Accelerated access to funds was proposed in the Incidental Supplementary Budget (ISB) submitted on 19 November.
These measures aim to enhance protection of Dutch territory and critical sites against evolving drone threats.
