Dutch armed forces to add drone operators to combat brigades

PARIS — The Netherlands will add specialized drone operators and counter-drone units to its combat brigades starting in April, according to Dutch Chief of Defence Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, who said the country is the first to take that step.

The Dutch armed forces already incorporate drones in their operations, and will expand that capability “significantly” by deploying 1,000 to 1,200 personnel specifically for drone and counter-drone operations, Eichelsheim said in the WNL Op Zondag podcast on Sunday.

Drones have become ubiquitous on the battlefield in recent years, with much of the development driven by the war in Ukraine, where the government says unmanned aerial systems now account for more than 80% of enemy targets destroyed. Meanwhile, Iran’s one-way Shahed drones have been causing destruction across the Middle East since the United States and Israel started striking the country.

“The lessons identified and learned from the war in Ukraine were in any case that unmanned systems were going to play a much greater role,” Eichelsheim said. “We’re seeing that now in the Middle East, and the same goes for the conflict with Iran.”

Eichelsheim said drone warfare requires a “completely different approach” to collaborating with industry on the front lines, as systems require continuous modernization and adaptation. That includes radars that have to be adjusted to respond to threats, or unmanned systems that become either more or less effective over time, the defense chief said.

“So you have to continuously adapt,” Eichelsheim said. “That too requires a change in how we operate.”

Armed forces across Europe have been trying to figure out how to adapt to an era of mass drone warfare, with Russia and Ukraine each using millions of drones a year in their war that has entered its fifth year. The Netherlands in December ordered Skyranger anti-drone cannons from Rheinmetall to protect maneuvering troops as well as static sites.

Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, the Dutch chief of defense said that while Iran’s defensive capabilities have been destroyed, the country retains a large portion of its offensive capabilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. was “getting very close to its objectives” in Iran, with the fight militarily won.

“Iran is still perfectly capable of launching ballistic missiles and maintain mobility regarding its launch sites,” Eichelsheim said. “So it is not quite as Mr. Trump says that Iran has been completely taken out. That is absolutely not the case.”

While the United States and Israel have air superiority, Iran has been clever about hiding launchers, and making them mobile, according to the Dutch general. He said Iran is “nowhere near halfway” through its missile stock, which makes it hard to say how long the conflict will continue.

The Netherlands and its allies are drawing up an inventory of the capabilities that could contribute to securing the Strait of Hormuz, to be able to brief policy makers on what the military options are, according to Eichelsheim. “We’re really still right at the very beginning of the planning process.”