During the war in Ukraine, drones are more important than ever. The Dutch military is responding to this with smart, new technologies.
Drones can no longer be thought away from the battlefield and increasingly pose a direct threat to soldiers and the military. But not to worry, our Dutch military is about to battle these flying enemies with some additional gadgets.
How they do that has everything to do with innovative technologies that can detect, disrupt and disable drones. These new systems not only promise to increase the safety of our troops, but also give the Netherlands a technological edge in modern warfare.
These drones are going to protect the Dutch military
State Secretary Gijs Tuinman has announced that the Dutch military plans to deploy personal anti-drone kits starting in 2025. Think directional lasers, portable sensors and jammers. This high-tech equipment should protect our soldiers from the increasingly smarter and smaller drones that play a leading role in modern conflicts.
“Disabling drones is essential to the safety of our troops,” Tuinman writes in a letter to the House of Representatives. And that is no luxury. In countries such as Ukraine and parts of the Middle East, drones have been ruling the skies for some time. Whether they are gathering intelligence or carrying out direct attacks.
Drone (Image: Unsplash)
The technology the Defense Department plans to acquire sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. These include targeting lasers that will allow soldiers to shoot small drones out of the sky with deadly precision, even at a distance of 200 meters. In addition, portable jammers will be used to jam drones’ signals, rendering them useless.
Radio frequency sensors will also be used, allowing drones to be detected from afar even before they get dangerously close. This advanced equipment ensures that munitions are used more efficiently and our soldiers are better prepared for the threats literally hanging over their heads.
Why is this important?
The war in Ukraine shows how drones are changing the rules of warfare. Russian and Ukrainian troops literally live under a constant threat of drones monitoring their every move. Western armies, including the Dutch, do not yet have extensive experience with this kind of drone warfare. They therefore want to avoid being left behind in this.
The Dutch Defense wants to respond to this and has set aside a budget between €50 million and €250 million to purchase the new equipment. Contracts will already be signed in the first months of 2025.
The focus is on protecting troops on the front lines, especially in NATO missions along the eastern border. And not without reason: Russian drones have already violated NATO airspace on several occasions. With these new gadgets, our military can not only better defend, but also proactively repel attacks.
Anti-drone equipment will have a lifespan of about 10 years, after which new technologies will have to be acquired. But that’s just the smart thing to do. With the lightning-fast developments in drone technology, staying up-to-date is a must.
Other countries are also betting on drones
By the way, the Netherlands is not the only country investing in anti-drone technology. Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom have also already taken steps to prepare their armies for a possible drone war.
In September, the Netherlands even organized a major NATO exercise to test more than 60 systems and technologies with allies.
