In view of the acute and growing threat posed by drones, the Dutch Ministry of Defense wants to invest more quickly in defending against unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This is necessary in order to guarantee the safety of military personnel, as Secretary of State for Defense Gijs Tuinman wrote to the House of Representatives.
In his letter, Tuinman explains the needs analysis for the “Acquisition eAAAD Toolbox” project. This project is about developing capabilities for extended All Arms Air Defense (eAAAD). eAAAD focuses specifically on self-protection against smaller types of drones. These weigh up to 20 kilograms and have a range of at least 1,000 meters. By equipping soldiers with additional aids, such as simple personal sensors, the drone threat is detected and repelled more quickly. In this way, eAAAD should enable soldiers to defend themselves independently – without the intervention of specialized air defence units.
Acute threat, limited resources
The latest developments in the Middle East and Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war) show that drones represent an acute and growing threat. The Netherlands has also taken note of this development and now wants to be better prepared for it. The defense sector currently has very limited resources at its disposal. The units are largely dependent on personal weapons or available standard weapon systems for this purpose. The probability of these systems hitting small, highly mobile drones is also limited.
In the letter to the House of Representatives, the State Secretary therefore emphasizes the need to have more capacity available quickly. This applies in particular to the Dutch units deployed on NATO’s eastern flank. The Ministry of Defense intends to conclude the contracts for these systems in the first quarter of this year.
eAAAD Toolbox
The eAAAD toolbox to be procured consists of three systems that complement each other. Military personnel should be able to use them to defend themselves independently.
- Electro-optical targeting devices for personal weapons are intended to improve the accuracy of small drones at a distance of at least 200 meters.
- Portable lightweight jammers ensure that the signals of enemy unmanned systems are jammed. They have a range of more than 1,000 meters.
- As a third system, portable radio frequency (RF) sensors contribute to the detection of enemy unmanned systems at a distance of at least 1,000 meters.
Costs and planning
An investment of between 50 and 250 million euros is required for the eAAAD toolbox. In addition, the Ministry of Defense is providing funds to replace the eAAAD systems with the latest technology after ten years. As already mentioned, the contract is due to be concluded in the first quarter of 2025, with the project currently scheduled for completion in 2028. The first systems will be delivered shortly after the contract is signed and will be ready for immediate use.
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