The Netherlands plans to purchase reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the local company DeltaQuad in the amount of 42.6 million euros for the further transfer of these drones to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. About this reported representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Defense on October 18.
This decision is part of a wider agreement worth 400 million euros, which was signed during the visit of the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Ruben Breckelmans, to Ukraine. In addition to the purchase of drones, the agreement provides for cooperation in the joint production of military drones for the needs of the Ukrainian military.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, these drones, although unarmed, have significant advantages. They are capable of flying for long periods of time over long distances, performing reconnaissance and surveillance tasks in real time. Thanks to the latest technology, drones can operate autonomously if they lose contact with the base, and at the same time remain invisible to the enemy, resisting attempts to jam signals.
For security reasons, the Dutch Ministry of Defense does not disclose details about the number and schedule of delivery of drones to Ukraine.
It is worth noting that on September 6, during the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine (“Ramstein format”), the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Ruben Breckelmans, announced the provision of equipment for the maintenance of F-16 aircraft and air-to-air missiles intended for defense to Ukraine airspace of Ukraine.
In addition, on October 17, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, announced the allocation of an additional 271 million euros for the supply of artillery shells to Ukraine, which will be an important part of the support in the fight against Russian aggression.
