Netherlands invests in drones and AI due to threat of prolonged confrontation with Russia
Kyiv • UNN
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is changing its approach to army development, betting on drones and AI. The country plans to invest an additional 20 billion euros in defense by 2035.
The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands is changing its approach to the development of the armed forces, betting on drones, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity due to Russia's preparation for a long-term confrontation with Europe. This is stated in the published defense document, which was presented on Monday at the Gilze-Rijen airbase, reports UNN.
Details
The document states that the Armed Forces must be "fundamentally structured differently than before," and the Ministry of Defense emphasizes the need for a "change in thinking and action."
The war in Ukraine, according to the department's assessment, has shown that the majority of losses are caused precisely by drones. Therefore, the new principle will be the approach: "unmanned where possible, manned where necessary." It is planned that within five years, more than half of operational tasks will be performed by unmanned systems.
The Netherlands plans to increase defense spending
According to Dutch intelligence services, Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with Europe. In the worst-case scenario, after the end of the war against Ukraine, Moscow could launch a "limited war" against one of the NATO member countries.
The Dutch government also plans to gradually invest an additional 20 billion euros in defense by 2035 to achieve NATO's new target of defense spending at 3.5% of GDP.
At the same time, the specific amounts that will be allocated for the production and development of drones have not yet been disclosed. They will be part of future budget negotiations and must be approved by parliament.
The document also emphasizes that, in addition to Russia, China's policy requires increasing attention. Furthermore, the government notes that it can no longer automatically count on the United States as an unchanging guarantor of Europe's security.