Latest news with #Tuinman
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Netherlands buys 46 Leopard tanks from KNDS for more than $1 billion
PARIS — The Netherlands signed a contract to buy 46 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from French-German defense firm KNDS for more than €1 billion (US$1.1 billion), following through on a plan to re-establish a heavy armor component for its land forces. The Dutch are buying the tanks from KNDS Deutschland through the framework contract established by Germany's Bundeswehr equipment office, with an option for an additional six tanks, according to statements from the Ministry of Defense and KNDS on Wednesday. The first tank will be handed over in 2028, with deliveries finalized in 2031, according to the Netherlands. 'With the current threat of large-scale conflict, the tank is an indispensable tool,' Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman said. 'A force that, combined with smart tactics, is difficult to stop. The Leopard remains the king of the battlefield.' The Dutch disbanded their last tank battalions in 2011 during an era of defense cuts, selling their remaining Leopard 2A6 tanks to Finland in 2014. The Netherlands have been leasing 2A6 tanks from Germany since 2015, providing one of the four companies in the mixed German-Dutch 414 Tank Battalion based at Germany's Bergen-Hohne military training area. The new fully Dutch battalion will remain based at Bergen-Hohne, where the Dutch says there is enough space for realistic training, something that is lacking in the Netherlands, one of Europe's most densely populated countries. The Leopard 2 is used by 15 European countries, according to KNDS. The Netherlands said the fact that other countries such as Lithuania, Norway and Sweden have ordered the Leopard makes international cooperation easier. The Leopard is 'the best tank available,' Tuinman said, describing the tracked vehicle as 'pure combat power,' with advanced systems and sensors creating a unit with 'formidable firepower.' The 2A8 features significant improvements compared to the version operated previously by the Dutch, with an improved barrel, better protection against improvised explosive devices, superior sensors, active protection and an upgraded transmission, according to the ministry. The 2A8 version of the Leopard will be fitted with an active protection system, the MoD said, without providing details. In Germany's case, that's the EuroTrophy system developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and designed as a hard-kill measure against anti-tank missiles. The Dutch plan to include an unmanned component in the future tank battalion, which will still have about 500 troops, according to the ministry. The Netherlands will decide in 2027 whether to exercise the option for an additional six tanks. The total budget, including spare parts, specialized tools, factory training and documentation amounts to between €1 billion and €2.5 billion, the Dutch MoD said. The Netherlands is also buying four Leopard 2A8 driver training vehicles. The Netherlands had announced its tank-buying plans in September, as part of increased defense spending, providing details on the future tank fleet the next month. The country increased its 2025 defense budget to €22 billion from €21.4 billion last year, with plans to go to around €24 billion a year. The Netherlands also signed a contract for Saab's Carl Gustav M4 anti-tank weapon, with first deliveries planned by the end of this year and continuing through to 2028. The M4 will replace the Panzerfaust-3 in service with the Dutch forces, which the MoD says has a maximum range of 600 meters and has become obsolete.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Netherlands to buy anti-torpedo weapon, tracked armor, new rifle
PARIS — The Netherlands plans to buy a torpedo-killing torpedo as early as 2029, replace the armed forces' standard assault rifle starting this decade and equip its heavy infantry brigade with tracked armored general-purpose vehicles, as part of 17 equipment projects for the coming years. Total spending on the planned projects will be at least €1.45 billion (US$1.65 billion), based on the lower end of the budget range for each project, according to a so-called 'A letter' from the Dutch Ministry of Defense sent to parliament on Wednesday outlining equipment requirements. 'It's essential that the Ministry of Defense has the necessary defense equipment at its disposal in good time to increase our deterrence and be a reliable NATO ally,' State Secretary of Defence Gijs Tuinman wrote. 'With this omnibus A letter, the Ministry of Defense is taking the next step toward greater flexibility and less internal bureaucracy in the procurement process.' The Netherlands lifted its 2025 defense budget to €22 billion, after spending €21.4 billion last year. The country is in the process of renewing its fleet of air-defense frigates, anti-submarine warfare frigates and submarines, and on land is beefing up its 43 Mechanized Brigade into a heavy infantry brigade with a full-fledged tank battalion and mobile air-defense systems. The Dutch plan to equip the future frigates, submarines and new amphibious transport vessels with a hard-kill system to defend against unmanned underwater vehicles such as drones and torpedoes. The first platform to be fitted with the anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) system will be the anti-submarine warfare frigates, according to Tuinman. Development of the anti-torpedo weapon from a demonstration model to a production-ready design will continue within the European Union's Permanent Structured Cooperation through to 2028, according to the Dutch MoD. Subsequently, the Netherlands expects to acquire a 'qualified ATT' starting in 2029, when the first new Dutch ASW frigate is scheduled to become operational. The investment for the anti-torpedo torpedo is €250 million to €1 billion for the 2025-2039 period, the ministry said. Potential international military cooperation through PESCO will reduce the technical development and financial risks, according to Tuinman. European navies chase the white whale of torpedo-busting torpedoes Other Navy investment projects include a replacement for the Mark 48 torpedoes for the new Orka-class submarines to be built by Naval Group, with delivery of the new torpedoes planned in the early 2030s. The Netherlands also plans to invest in unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vessels for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and to contribute to anti-submarine warfare. Both projects are in the €50 million to €250 million range. For the land forces, the Netherlands plans to buy an estimated 100 to 150 tracked armored vehicles for use by the heavy infantry brigade in roles including transport, command, ambulance, engineering and troop transport, for between €250 million and €1 billion. The MoD plans to buy the tracked vehicles through a negotiated procedure without tender from a single source, buying systems that are already known and have been acquired previously, Tuinman said. 'This ensures that contracting can be done quickly, which benefits delivery time.' While Tuinman didn't provide details on the model the Dutch plan to buy, the 43 Mechanized Brigade operates the CV90 infantry combat vehicle from BAE Systems Hägglunds, alongside Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The CV90 exists in an armored-personnel carrier version that is the base for other non-turreted variants. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Lithuania are preparing a joint purchase of the CV90, the Swedish government said earlier this week. The Dutch list of projects also includes replacing the armed forces' Colt C7 standard assault rife and C8 carbines, with a budget of €250 million to €1 billion for the 2027-2041 period. The existing rifles have been modernized since 2009 and will reach the end of their technical lifespan in 2030, and the ministry targets the first deliveries of the new arms before the end of the decade. The MoD plans to buy multiple variants of the same weapon from a single supplier, and is looking for a possible purchase in cooperation with partner countries to increase interoperability. The Netherlands said several partners and allies either use similar weapons or are planning to acquire them in the short term. The Netherlands will also buy around 200 multi-barrel machine guns that will equip helicopters and ships, for between €50 million and €250 million. The speed of engagements has increased, and the MoD said it's looking for a weapon with a higher rate of fire than the current MAG 7.62 mm and Browning .50 machine guns. Technical improvements on a multi-barrel machine gun make it less likely to malfunction than current weapons, and the improved combat capabilities increase the survivability and operational availability of platforms including naval vessels and helicopters, the ministry said. The ministry said the Dutch F-35 jets need a tactical armament that can be deployed against well-defended targets, with high survivability to avoid anti-munition weapon systems, and the ministry has budgeted €50 million to €250 million from 2027 to 2032 to acquire such a weapon. The current weapons for tactical deployment equipping the Dutch F-35 fleet are precision-guided and short-range, free-fall munitions with low survivability due to lack of speed or because of high radar reflectivity. They are limited in their deployment due to vulnerability to weather conditions, camouflage, deception and jamming, the ministry said. The Netherlands has changed its defense procurement to cut red tape and accelerate the process, doubling the threshold that requires notification to parliament to €50 million and lifting the investment amount that needs parliamentary approval to €250 million from €100 million. 'Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Defense has taken new measures to increase agility, speed up processes and reduce internal bureaucracy,' Tuinman said.
Saudi Gazette
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Netherlands wants to double its military personnel by 2030
AMSTERDAM — The Dutch Ministry of Defense has confirmed it aims to more than double its military personnel, from 70,000 to 200,000 by 2030. In a letter from the State Secretary for Defense, Gijs Tuinman, to the House of Representatives, he said that defense is "facing a major change," which means "that the Netherlands must be able to stand on its own two feet." In order to increase the size of the armed forces, the government will send a survey to all young people who are called up at the age of 17 to get them interested in serving. Completing that survey is still voluntary for the time being, but it could eventually become mandatory, as could an interview or a medical examination. The government also aims to increase the number of 'reservists,' those who work part-time for the armed forces, often combining their service with civilian work or studies. They also want to encourage more young people to participate in the so-called service year, in which people between the ages of 18 and 27 can voluntarily get acquainted with government is convinced that, "in view of the current threat assessment," a larger armed force should be created even sooner than was already it aimed for an increase to 100.000 people, including professional soldiers, reservists, and civilian staff. At the end of last week, it became clear that this number would be adjusted ambition is to have the armed forces organized into both a peace organization and a military organization by 2027."This isn't just about quantity, but also about placing the right people with the necessary skills in the right roles on time," Tuinman about Russia and doubts about the future of US protection are pressuring EU countries to boost their defense spending. — Euronews
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Netherlands to buy Rheinmetall anti-drone cannons in $1.35 billion buy
PARIS — The Netherlands plans to buy 22 Skyranger mobile air-defense cannons from Germany's Rheinmetall to protect ground troops against the increased threat of drones, in a project with a budget of €1.3 billion (US$1.35 billion), the Dutch Ministry of Defence said. The goal is for the first contracts to be signed in the first half of 2025, which should allow for deliveries to start in 2028 and be wrapped up the following year, State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman wrote in a letter to parliament on Wednesday. The budget covers the acquisition price as well as ammunition, operating costs over the weapons' lifetime and a risk reserve. The Dutch armed forces currently lack a mobile system that can adequately protect their medium and heavy infantry brigades against small and cheap drones, with longer-range systems neither efficient nor effective against the small drone threat, Tuinman said. 'We need to be better able to combat enemy drones, helicopters and other aerial threats,' Tuinman said in a post on X. 'That's why we are purchasing 22 mobile anti-drone gun systems. In this way we protect our own troops, strengthen combat power and contribute to NATO requirements.' The Skyranger 30 systems can counter unmanned aircraft systems as well as low-flying helicopters and aircraft up to a distance of 5 kilometers, or roughly 3 miles, using a 30 millimeter rapid-fire cannon coupled with surface-to-air missiles for longer-range targets, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said. The guns will be mounted on the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle from Germany's Flensburger Fahrzeugbau, a 26-metric ton tracked vehicle designed to be air-transportable. The ministry is buying off-the-shelf equipment, which is advantageous in terms of price and delivery time, it said. Unmanned aircraft systems have become a dominant feature of the battlefield in Ukraine, taking out everything from tanks to individual soldiers, and Western militaries are trying to figure out how to protect maneuvering troops in those conditions. The Netherlands said last month it would equip its soldiers with personal protection gear against drones, including targeting lasers and sensors. The Skyranger's Oerlikon 30 mm revolver cannon has a firing rate of around 1,200 rounds per minute, and can fire programmable airburst munitions. The turret has its own 360 degree active radar using fixed plate antennas, as well as an infrared thermal-imaging camera for passive tracking. Rheinmetall says the gun has an effective range of 3 kilometers. NATO is also asking the Netherlands to invest in heavier land-combat capabilities such as ground-based air and missile defense and land-maneuver formations, the minister said. The Netherlands said in September it would again stand up a tank battalion, after having sold its last Leopard 2 tanks in 2011 due to budget cuts. The Netherlands plans to set up five mobile air-defense units to protect the maneuver battalions of its medium and heavy infantry brigades, with each units receiving four Skyranger 30 combat C-UAS systems in addition to short-range air defense systems. 'Due to geopolitical developments and in case of further growth of the armed forces, it cannot be ruled out that a greater need will arise in the future than has been quantified so far,' Tuinman wrote. 'The contracts will therefore include optionality for additional systems wherever possible.' The vehicles for the Skyranger turret will be purchased in connection with a program announced last year to buy Kongsberg's National Manoeuvre Air Defence System, a short-range system that also uses the ACSV tracked vehicle. As part of the Kongsberg purchase, the Netherlands will receive five fire-control units and 18 NOMADS weapon platforms equipped with Sidewinder missiles, with deliveries set to start in 2028. A single short-range air-defense platoon, targeting threats up to 15 kilometers, consists of a mobile fire-control unit and three launchers, according to the Dutch MoD. With Denmark, Germany and Austria also buying the Skyranger system, that will be positive for cooperation, according to Tuinman. The Netherlands is seeking 'a high degree of interoperability' with European allies including Germany, the state secretary said. Germany in February 2024 agreed to buy 19 Skyranger 30 systems mounted on a Boxer wheeled armored fighting vehicle for €595 million, including one prototype, and with an option to buy another 30 systems. In addition to the gun, the German systems will be armed with Raytheon's Stinger air-defense missile. That same month Austria announced an order for 36 Skyranger 30 systems, to be mounted on Pandur wheeled armored vehicles from General Dynamics European Land Systems, with delivery starting in 2026. The turrets for Austria's systems will combine the 30 mm gun with Mistral guided missiles from MBDA. Denmark in September followed with an order for 16 Skyranger 30 turrets to be mounted on the eight-wheeled Piranha armored personnel carrier in use with the Danish armed forces. Four units are scheduled for delivery in late 2026, with the remaining serial-produced turrets delivered over the following two years. At the time of the order, Denmark hadn't picked the air-defense missile yet. France's armaments directorate in December asked KNDS France to develop similar mobile air-defense and anti-drone equipment, with an order for 30 Serval armored vehicles mounted with MBDA's Atlas RC turret and Mistral missiles, and 24 Serval units equipped with a 30 mm cannon to target drones.
