According to the US Defense News website on April 24, the Netherlands announced 17 equipment procurement projects planned to be implemented in the next few years on the 23rd, including the purchase of an anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) as early as 2029, the upgrading of standard assault rifles for the troops within this decade, and the equipping of its heavy infantry brigade with crawler-type general armored vehicles.

  The Dutch Ministry of Defense listed its equipment needs in a letter to parliament on the 23rd. Calculated according to the lower limits of each project budget scope, the total expenditure will be at least 1.45 billion euros.

  "The Ministry of Defense must have the necessary defense equipment in a timely manner to enhance our deterrence and become a reliable NATO ally. The Ministry of Defense will take the next steps to increase flexibility in the procurement process and reduce internal bureaucratic processes."

  The Netherlands raises its defense budget for 2025 to 22 billion euros, compared with 21.4 billion euros in 2024. On the Navy, the country is renewing its fleet of air defense frigates, anti-submarine warfighters and submarines; on the Army, the 43rd Mechanized Brigade will add a complete tank battalion and maneuverable air defense system and strengthen it into a heavy infantry brigade.

  The Netherlands plans to equip future frigates, submarines and new amphibious transport ships with hard kill systems to defend against unmanned underwater vehicles such as submarines and torpedoes.

  According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the research and development of anti-torpedo weapons will continue to advance under the "Permanent Structural Cooperation" Joint Defense Mechanism (PESCO), and the process from verification aircraft to mass production design will be completed by 2028. Subsequently, the Netherlands hopes to obtain a "qualified ATT" starting from 2029. By then, the first new anti-submarine frigate in the Netherlands is also planned to be put into use.

  Other Navy investments include replacing the Mark-48 torpedo for the new Killer Whale class submarine (built by the French Navy Group), with the new torpedo scheduled to be delivered in the early 2030s. The Netherlands also plans to invest in drones and unmanned surface ships for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and serve anti-submarine warfare. Investments in both projects range from €50 million to €250 million.

  Regarding ground forces, the Netherlands plans to purchase about 100 to 150 tracked armored vehicles for use by heavy infantry brigades. Although Tiinman did not provide details of the vehicle models planned to be purchased by the Netherlands, the 43rd Mechanized Brigade was equipped with the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle of Beiyi Systems and the "Leopard"-2 main battle tank.

  The Netherlands' list of procurement plans also includes the C7 standard assault rifle and C8 carbine to replace the armed forces, with a budget of 250 million to 1 billion euros between 2027 and 2041.

  The Dutch Ministry of Defense plans to purchase multiple modifications of the same weapon from a single supplier and will seek to procure in partnership with partner countries to increase interoperability. (Translated by Zhu Li)

  "Leopard"-2 main battle tank (AFP information photo)

[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]