Dutch Defense Minister Promises IDR 6.8 Trillion Support For Ukrainian Drone Development
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday his country would invest 400 million euros (IDR 6,880,262,732,000) in the development of advanced drones with Ukraine and deliver more F-16s in the coming months.
"War, of course, is getting more intensive every day and Ukraine is preparing more brigades that all require support, all of which require military equipment. We need to have this continuous flow of support," Defense Minister Brekelmans told Reuters in Kyiv. October 7th.
The drone action plan will combine Ukraine's innovation and Dutch knowledge to enhance the technology used on the battlefield, he said.
"We will focus on various types of drone aircraft, both surveillance drones, more defensive unmanned aircraft, but also attack drones, as we see that Ukraine also needs more offensive drone aircraft to target military facilities", explained Brekelmans.
About half of the investment will be spent in the Netherlands, while the rest will be divided between Ukraine and other countries, he added.
If the drone developed is successful, more funds will be available to increase production, according to him.
Earlier, Defense Minister Brekelmans visited Kharkiv who was bombarded with Russian bombs, saying attacking military targets in Russia was the only way to defend the city.
The Netherlands has pledged 10 billion euros in military support for Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion and has so far spent about 4 billion euros.
So far the Netherlands has contributed to its air defense support by encouraging international partners to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets and promising 24 of them.
According to Defense Minister Brekelmans, the first batch of aircraft from the Netherlands is already operating in Ukrainian airspace, while others will be delivered "in the coming months and perhaps early next year."
The country also sends spare parts, ammunition and fuel for jets as it seeks to expand pilot training opportunities through meetings with partner countries and private sector players such as Lockheed Martin to keep jets operating, he said.
The Netherlands has also announced plans to assemble Patriot's air defense system for Ukraine by relying on spare parts from various countries, but Defense Minister Brekelmans said it was difficult for them to get some parts.
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He said Ukraine already used one Dutch-backed Patriot radar and "three launchers will be delivered soon."
More than two and a half years since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Ukraine is struggling to thwart Russian troops as they move forward in the east and attack critical infrastructure ahead of the winter months.
Ukraine has asked its partners to allow the use of their aid weapons to strike targets far away in Russia, providing them with more air defenses.