High On Defence: Listing Dutch Arms Acquisitions

By Stijn Mitzer and Kemal

The 2000s witnessed a widespread decrease in European defence spending, and the Netherlands was certainly not exempt from this trend. Within a span of less than a decade, the Dutch Armed Forces had to bid farewell to a multitude of weapons systems. This included all of its tanks, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, multiple rocket launchers and maritime patrol aircraft. In addition, significant reductions were made in the inventory of frigates, fighter jets and AFVs. Compounding the situation was a shortage of spare parts and ammunition, along with a decline in morale, resulting in a significant loss of personnel as soldiers pursued better opportunities outside of the military.

The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 triggered a notable shift in defence priorities, leading to an increase in funding and public awareness that the previous rounds of budget cuts had decimated the Dutch Armed Forces. In the following years, the main focus laid on repairing the damage inflicted upon the organisation, a necessity before any future growth could happen. The 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War significantly hastened the pace of growth, not only causing increased military spending to reach 2% of the Netherlands' GDP in 2024 but also accelerating defence projects. These projects aim to address several capability gaps caused by new threats and past budget cuts.

One of these capability gaps relates to the insufficient number of MBTs on strength. The Netherlands currently operates just 18 Leopard 2A6s integrated into the joint German-Dutch 414 Tank Battalion, after retiring its entire tank fleet in 2011. While some still believe that the decommissioning was driven by a Dutch belief that the tank concept had become obsolete, in reality, their retirement was solely a budgetary decision. With few other options for axing other weapons systems or units, and with more than 80 Leopard 2A6s that remained operational set for a costly upgrade to the A7 standard, the painful decision was made to ax the tank fleet. 100 Leopard 2A6s were later sold to Finland while the remaining 17 MBTs were gifted to Germany in exchange for operating 18 German Leopard 2A6s in the 414 Tank Battalion. The Dutch Army is now on track to buy up to 52 Leopard 2A8s from Germany, at a price nearly ten times that of upgrading the Leopard 2A6s to the 2A7 standard, as originally envisioned in the mid-to-late 2010s.

The 414 Tank Battalion stands as an excellent illustration of the deep integration between the Dutch Army and the German Army. The Dutch Army has taken significant steps by integrating its 11 Air Assault Brigade, 13 Light Brigade and 43 Mechanised Brigade into the German Heer. Despite common misconceptions, this integration doesn't signify a relinquishment of Dutch sovereign control over its army. The Netherlands remains in control of the decision whether and where to deploy its forces. The other branches of the Dutch Armed Forces are similarly well integrated or eying such cooperation with neighbouring countries. The Belgian and Dutch navies operate under a joint Maritime Headquarters while the Dutch Marine Corps is closely integrated with the Royal Marines, and like the Marines, will see a shift from a amphibious landing force to a maritime raiding force supported by more offensive weapons systems.

One noteworthy aspect is the substantial emphasis placed on various types of offensive weapons systems, including air-launched, ship-launched, and submarine-launched cruise missiles and ground-launched tactical ballistic missiles. These acquisitions take on even more significance when taking into account that while most NATO countries are once again directing investments into their armed forces, only a handful are in fact allocating resources towards offensive capabilities of such magnitude. All things considered, the Netherlands' effort to enhance its military capabilities can justifiably be characterised as a comprehensive revitalisation of the entire armed forces, spanning from uniforms, small arms, and trucks to the actual weapons systems themselves. Virtually all categories of weapons systems are poised to experience upgrades or replacements, including almost the entire inventory of the Dutch Navy.

Despite the substantial investments aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Dutch Armed Forces, a pressing challenge persists in the form of a substantial manpower deficit. Despite ongoing efforts to further improve working conditions within the military, this has not yet proven sufficient to attract a significant influx of new personnel. This manpower shortage has particularly impacted the Navy, which has found itself forced to lay-up several ships due to a shortage of crew members. This not only hampers the operational readiness of the Dutch Navy but also renders discussions regarding its expansion devoid of logic. Finally backed by a budget in line with demands, bridging the manpower gap will be crucial towards ensuring the effectiveness of the armed forces. Nevertheless, considering the Dutch spirit of effective problem-solving, this goal will undoubtedly be attained in due course. When that happens, these new recruits are set to join a military outfitted with the most cutting-edge military technology available.

This article attempts to list equipment acquisitions by the Dutch Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Gendarmerie. This list focuses on heavy weaponry and doesn't include ATGMs, MANPADS, light mortars, trucks and radars. Not all of the planned acquisitions mentioned in the list might eventually materialise due to a lack of personnel and or budget. Mid-Life Updates (MLUs) are only included when they contribute to enhancing the weapons system's operational capabilities.

Army - Koninklijke Landmacht

Tanks (Future Quantity: 70)

Up To 52 Leopard 2A8s [Planned Acquisition] (To supplement 18 Leopard 2A6MA2s)

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (Future Quantity: 140+)

Mid-Life Update Upgrade Of 122(+19 As Option) CV9035s With A New Turret, Spike-LR2 ATGMs And Iron Fist APS [To be completed by the end of 2026]
Boxer Wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicles With A 30mm RWS With Spike ATGMs Or 35mm Turret With Spike ATGMs [Planned Acquisition]

Armoured Personnel Carriers (Future Quantity: 235)

38 Boxer Ambulances [To be delivered until 2026] (Will supplement 195 Boxers in four configurations already in service)

Specialist Armoured Vehicles (Future Quantity: 395)

Mid-Life Update Of 325 Fennek Armoured Vehicles With A Thermal Imager For The 12.7mm Remote Weapons System, A New Night Vision System, Communications Kit And EO Mast (And Additional Armour On 34 Vehicles) [Will be completed by the mid-2020s]
Upgrade Of 48 Fennek Medium Range Anti Tank (MRAT) Vehicles With Intregrated Spike-LR(2) Launch Capability [Will be completed by the mid-2020s]
Programme For 12 New CBRN Reconnaissance Vehicles [To enter service in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles (Future Quantity: 102)

Mid-Life Update Of 102 Bushmaster MRAPs With A Remote Weapons System, Improved Armour, Communications Systems, And Cameras [To be completed by 2027]

Infantry Mobility Vehicles (Future Quantity: ~1150)

~1265 Iveco Manticores In Four Configurations (Can be armed with Spike ATGMs) [To be delivered between 2023 and 2027]

Light Strike Vehicles (Future Quantity: ~100)

Up to 1004 Caracal (Air Mobile Vehicles) (Can be armed with Spike ATGMs) [To enter service from 2025 onwards]
41 Vector (Air Mobile Vehicles) [To be delivered from 2023 onwards] (Will supplement 75 Vectors already in service)

Unmanned Ground (Combat) Vehicles (UGCVs)

Programme For Unmanned Ground Vehicles And Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicles [Planned Acquisition] (Will supplement six Milrem THeMIS UG(C)Vs currently in service)

Artillery And Multiple Rocket Launchers (Future Quantity: 45 SPGs, 20 MRLs And An Unknown Number Of SPMs)

Programme For 20 New 120mm Mortars [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
Programme For 120mm Self-Propelled Mortars On Boxer Or CV90 Chassis [Planned Acquisition]
Overhaul Of 10 Stored 155mm PzH 2000s SPGs To Bring The Number Of Active PzH 2000s To 45 [To be completed by the mid-2020s]
Mid-Life Update Of 45 PzH 2000s With New Electronics, Climate Control System, Night Vision, Roof Armour And An Improved Munition Loading System [To be completed by 2028]
20 PULS MLRS [Will be delivered from 2023 onwards]

Precision-Guided Munitions For Artillery And MRLs

Programme To Acquire 120mm Guided Mortar Rounds [Planned Acquisition]
Additional M982 Excalibur GPS-Guided Shells For The PzH 2000 SPG [To be delivered by the mid-2020s]
Predator Hawk Tactical Ballistic Missiles For The PULS MLRS [Will be delivered from 2023/4 onwards]
Guided Munitions Package For The PULS MLRS [Will be delivered from 2023 onwards]

Air Defence Systems

Elbit ReDrone Counter-UAS Systems [Will be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
Skyranger 30 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns [Planned Acquisition]
IRIS-T Short Range Air Defence Systems (SHORAD) On ACSV G5 Tracked Vehicles [Will be delivered from 2028 onwards] (Will replace 18 Fennek SWPs)
NASAMS-3 Medium Range Air Defence (MRAD) With AMRAAM-ER [Will be delivered in mid-to-late 2020s] (Will replace two NASAMS II batteries)
Mid-Life Update Of 4 Patriot SAM Batteries [To be completed in mid-to-late 2020s]

Electronic Warfare Equipment

10 Boxer Joint Electronic Attack (EOV) Vehicles [To enter service from 2027 onwards]
Programme To Acquire Electronic Support Measures (ESM) Equipment [Planned Acquisition]

Armoured Engineering Vehicles (Future Quantity: 10 AEVs, 8 AVLBs And 25 ARVs)

Mid-Life Update Upgrade Of 25 Bergepanzer 3 ''Buffel'' Armoured Recovery Vehicles With New Battle Recovery Equipment, Digital And Command Elements And Additional Armour [To be completed by 2027]

Loitering Munitions

Loitering Munitions With 4 Launchers [Planned Acquisition]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Programme For Mini Surveillance UAVs [To enter service from the mid-2020s onwards] (Will supplement a range of U.S. models already in service)

Special Forces Craft

Several Future Fast Interceptors (FFI) For Korps Commandotroepen [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Air Force - Koninklijke Luchtmacht

Fighter Aircraft (Future Quantity: 52)

52 F-35As [Delivery Ongoing]

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (Future Quantity: 8)

4 MQ-9 Block 5s [To be delivered in the mid-2020s] (To supplement 4 MQ-9 Block 5s already in service) (Fitted with AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radars and SIGINT equipment)

Tanker Aircraft (Future Quantity: 10)

2 Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) (Ordered by Belgium and NATO but registered in the Netherlands) [Will be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s] (Will supplement 8 A330 MRTTs already in service with the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet registered in the Netherlands)

Transport Aircraft (Future Quantity: 5)

5 Embraer C-390 Millenniums [Will be delivered from 2026 onwards]

Trainer Aircraft (Future Quantity: ~10)

Programme For New Basic Trainer Aircraft (To replace 13 PC-7 trainers)

Helicopters (Future Quantity: 28 Attack Helicopters, 34 Transport Helicopters And 19 ASW Helicopters)

28 AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters [Delivery Ongoing] (Will replace 28 AH-64D Apaches)
14 H225M Caracel Combat Search And Rescue And Transport Helicopters [Will be delivered in 2028] (Will replace 12 Eurocopter AS532 Cougars)

(New) Weapons Systems

AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) (For MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper And AH-64E Apache. Will replace the AGM-114 Hellfire) [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
AGM-158B JASSM-ER Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (For F-35A) [To be delivered in 2027]
AGM-88G AARGM-ER Anti-Radiation Missiles (For F-35A) [To be delivered in 2027]
AIM-120D AMRAAM Long-Range Air-To-Air Missiles (For F-35A) [Planned Acquisition]

Reconnaissance Satellites

A Significant Number Of Small Satellites [Will become operational from 2025 onwards]

Infantry Mobility Vehicles

A Number Of Iveco Manticores [Will be delivered in the mid-2020s] (Will replace a number of KLu YPR-765s used for base defence duties)

Navy - Koninklijke Marine

Frigates (Future Quantity: 6)

Upgrade Of 2 LCFs With Tomahawk LACMs, RIM-162 ESSM Block 2 and SM-3/6 SAMs, RIM-116 RAM CIWS, Naval Strike Missile AShMs, An Oto Melara 127/64 LW Naval Gun, APAR Block 2 Fire-Control Radar, A Soft-Kill Torpedo Defence System, ECM, New ESM, MK54 Torpedoes And (Likely) Anti-Torpedo Torpedoes [To be completed by the late 2020s]
Upgrade Of 2 LCFs With Tomahawk LACMs, Naval Strike Missile AShMs, An Oto Melara 127/64 LW Naval Gun, Soft-Kill Torpedo Defence System, New ESM, MK54 Torpedoes And (Likely) Anti-Torpedo Torpedoes [To be completed by the late 2020s]
2 Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates (ASWFs) [Scheduled for delivery from 2029 onwards] (Will replace 2 M-class frigates)
4 Future Air Defenders [Scheduled for delivery from the early 2030s onwards] (Will replace 4 De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates)

Optionally Unmanned Surface Combat Vessels (Future Quantity: Up To 4)

Up To 4 TRIFIC [Scheduled for delivery in the mid-2020s] (To be armed with containerised VLS with SAMs, AShMs, LACMs and loitering munitions, unmanned systems and ECM, and ESM)

Submarines (Future Quantity: 4)

Programme For 4 Attack Submarines [Scheduled for delivery from the early 2030s onwards] [Candidates: C718, Type 212CD E and Barracuda] (Will replace 4 Walrus-class submarines)
Upgrade Of Walrus-Class Submarines With Tomahawk LACMs (On 2 Submarines) And MK48 Mod 7AT Torpedoes (On 3 Submarines) [To be completed by the late 2020s]

Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) And Landing Platform Crossovers (LPXs) (Future Quantity: 6)

Mid-Life Update Of The Johan De Witt With An Oto Melara 76/62 Savroponte Naval Gun, RIM-116 RAM CIWS, Lionfish Top RCWS, A New Search Radar, Soft-Kill Torpedo Defence System And (Likely) Anti-Torpedo Torpedoes [To be completed by the mid-to-late 2020s]
6 Landing Platform Crossovers [Will be delivered from the mid-2030s onwards] [Candidate: Damen Crossover) (Will replace 2 Rotterdam-class LPDs and 4 Holland-class OPVs)

Combat Support Ships (Future Quantity: 2)

Upgrade Of The Karel Doorman With An Oto Melara 76/62 Savroponte Naval Gun, RIM-116 RAM CIWS, Lionfish Top RCWS, A New Search Radar, Soft-Kill Torpedo Defence System And (Likely) Anti-Torpedo Torpedoes [To be completed by the mid-to-late 2020s]
1 Den Helder-Class Combat Support Ship [Will be delivered in 2025]

Minehunters (Future Quantity: 6)

6 Vlissingen-Class' [Will be delivered between 2025 and 2030] (Will replace 5 Tripartite-class minehunters)

Miscellaneous Ships

4 Seagoing And 4 Coastal Auxiliary Ships (For Logistic Support, Submarine Support, Diving Support And Hydrographic Survey) [To be delivered from the 2026 onwards]
Mid-Life Update Of 5 Landing Craft Utility (LCU Mk3s) [To be completed by the mid-2020s]
Programme For The Replacement Of 5 Landing Craft Utility (LCU Mk3s) [To be delivered by the early 2030s]
Programme For The Replacement Of 12 Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs) With 12 Littoral Assault Craft (LAC) And 8 Littoral Craft Mobility (LCMs) [To be delivered by the late 2020s]
Programme For 11 Future Fast Interceptors (FFI) For The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces And Korps Commandotroepen [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Shipborne Weapons (Does Not Include Weapons Systems That Will Come With Newly-Build Ships)

RIM-162 ESSM Block 2 SAMs [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s] (To replace ESSM Block 1 SAMs)
Additional SM-2MR Block IIIA SAMs [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
Programme To Replace The SM-2MR Block IIIA SAM [To be delivered from 2030 onwards] [Candidate: SM-2MR Block IIIC]
Ship-Launched Anti-Ballistic Missiles [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s] [Candidates: SM-3 and SM-6]
RIM-116 RAM Close-In Weapon Systems [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s] (To replace Goalkeeper CIWS)
Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedoes (To replace the MK46 torpedo on six frigates) [To be delivered from 2025 onwards]
BGM-109 Tomahawk Ship-Launched Cruise Missiles [To be delivered in the late 2020s]
UGM-109 Tomahawk Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles [To be delivered in the late 2020s]
Programme For Ship-Launched Loitering Munitions [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s] [Candidate: IAI Harop]
4 Oto Melara 127/64 LW Naval Guns (To replace the Oto Melara 127mm/54C Naval Gun on four LCF Frigates) [Delivery Ongoing]
2(+3 On New-Build Ships) Oto Melara 76/62 Sovraponte Naval Guns (To replace the Goalkeeper CIWS on the Johan de Witt LPD and Karel Doorman JSS) [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
LIONFISH 12.7 Top RWS (To replace all 12.7mm RWS on current ships) [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Marine Corps - Korps Mariniers

Armoured Vehicle

BvS10 Beowulf Cold Weather All-Terrain Carriers (To replace Bv 206s) [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]
Programme For Future Littoral All-Terrain Mobility Patrol Vehicles (FLATM PV) (To Replace BvS10 Viking) [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]