Il ministro della Difesa olandese fa visita a sorpresa a Kharkiv devastata dalla guerra

He also disclosed a 400m investment in joined drone production:

Source: [defensie.nl](https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2024/10/05/na-f-16s-kondigt-brekelmans-in-oekraine-actieplan-drones-aan), auto translated:

After F-16s, Minister Brekelmans announces drone action plan in Ukraine

Defensie.nl | Current News | News item | 06-10-2024 | 19:00

During a visit to Kharkiv and Kyiv, Minister Brekelmans announced that the Netherlands will continue to fulfil its pioneering role in supporting Ukraine by making approximately 400 million euros available for a drone action plan. The minister also confirmed that the first of 24 promised Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine.

With the drone action plan, the Netherlands and Ukraine are working together to develop advanced drones and accelerate the production of successful prototypes. Almost half of these take place in the Netherlands.

Brekelmans: “The Netherlands previously played a pioneering role when it came to the delivery of F-16s and Patriot systems, now we are continuing this with advanced drones by investing 400 million euros in a drone action plan. This involves all kinds of advanced drones that can be used for reconnaissance, defense and attack. Particularly in the air, but also on land and at sea.”

If developed drones are successful, more money will be available to scale up their production.

Changing battlefield

The Netherlands is a pioneer when it comes to the development of unmanned systems. According to Brekelmans, experiences gained in Ukraine are also of added value to the high-quality technology in the Netherlands. “If Dutch knowledge and technology are combined with Ukrainian experiences on the battlefield, this leads to innovative and effective drones. These can really make a difference on the rapidly changing battlefield.”

Due to the importance of drones in modern warfare, the minister makes this a spearhead.

“The development of all kinds of drones is going very fast. We do not have the luxury of taking a long time, it is about making speed. Buying prototypes, testing them quickly and quickly scaling up production.”

3.76 billion euros in military support

Minister Brekelmans also reports that the Netherlands has now provided approximately 3.76 billion euros in military support to Ukraine. This amount has increased by almost 700 million euros since the last report to the House of Representatives in June this year. The vast majority of this amount has been spent on commercial donations.

A large part of this 700 million is made up of a continuous undercurrent aimed at maintenance and sustainability. This includes all the items needed to keep delivered systems operational, such as spare parts and ammunition for Panzer howitzers, Patriots and F-16s. But also medical supplies, ammunition and combat rations to ensure that Ukrainian soldiers have what they need to continue fighting for their freedom.

The delivery of F-16 fighter jets has been included in this report. The export permit for the aircraft was issued on 1 July. After that, the first promised F-16s transferred to Ukraine. In addition, as previously announced, the Netherlands is making a significant contribution to the support and maintenance of the aircraft.

For example, surface-to-air missiles are being supplied from its own stock, the Netherlands is contributing 450 million euros to the acquisition of ammunition and the Netherlands is providing 80 million euros worth of financing for maintenance contracts and a large number of spare parts.

Other goods

The other military goods include various combat vehicles such as Leopard 2A4 tanks, YPR armoured tracked vehicles and Viking tracked vehicles.

It also includes fire support and air defence systems, including DITA Howitzers and Patriot components.