Cabinet continues to strengthen the armed forces
News item | 16-09-2015 | 10:12
The armed forces will receive another EUR 220 million next year, increasing to EUR 345 million in 2020. This is the fourth time in a row that more money has been allocated. The cabinet is thus continuing the upward trend. The increase is in keeping with the cabinet’s multi-year vision, prompted by incessant conflicts, as well as the structurally more stringent demands being placed on the armed forces in this respect by organisations such as NATO. Furthermore, the 2016 budget contains greater provisions for funding the deployment of the armed forces in international missions, with a structural increase of EUR 60 million for this purpose, as “our own freedom begins with the freedom of others,” according to Minister Hennis-Plasschaert.
“Many Dutch people are justifiably worried about how the security situation is developing, both close to home and elsewhere in the world. The cabinet will shoulder its responsibilities in this matter”, says Hennis. Priority will be given to improving the basic readiness of the armed forces. Defence is also shifting the boundaries of international cooperation, for example by radically intensifying cooperation with Germany. There will also be a slight increase in the investment budget, so ambitions will need to be in line with the available resources.
Improving basic readiness
“A heavy toll has been exacted from Defence over the last few decades. Defence can cope with a lot, but today’s ambitions and challenges are huge. That is why more people and materiel are being made available for training and education, for instance for the rapid deployment of operational units”, says the Minister. “Supplies will be increased with more spare parts and munitions. Materiel can also be repaired more quickly with extra maintenance capacity. This requires a multi-year approach, and we have to play the long game”, writes the Minister in her policy agenda. With these measures, the cabinet intends to contribute in the coming years to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The aim is to declare the VJTF operational in mid-2016.
In February of this year, the cabinet announced that it would be taking measures in respect of counterterrorism. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee will, for example, receive additional capacity for the surveillance and security of vulnerable objects. The Special Intervention Service and the Defence Intelligence & Security Service will also be augmented.
International cooperation
To ensure the continued ability to cope with threats and risks, further intensification of defence cooperation is needed. Germany and the Netherlands intend to integrate 43 Mechanised Brigade in Havelte into a German armoured division. In addition, Germany is integrating a tank battalion into the Dutch brigade and the Netherlands is supplying personnel for a company in this German tank battalion. As part of this cooperation, the Netherlands will supply the last 16 Leopard 2A6 tanks. Knowledge and expertise of operating with and against tanks will thus be preserved and the deployability and sustainability of the armed forces will be enhanced. Any shortfall in capability can also be compensated for. This integrated unit will be operational by the end of 2019. Cooperation with other countries will also be intensified in numerous areas. At the end of 2016, after parliamentary approval by the three countries, combined Benelux airspace control will commence in all three countries.
modernising the operational domain
Defence is investing in future-proofing the armed forces. This involves maintenance programmes, replacement investments, use of new technologies and procurement of new materiel. In the coming year, Defence will be rolling out initiatives to encourage small-scale innovation near to grass-roots level, for example the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Air Innovation Centre. The extra resources in this budget will also be used to make targeted improvements in the armed forces’ knowledge base and to enable significant investments in the coming years.
For next year, there is a budget available for a number of investments, as part of which Defence will make an initial down payment in 2016 for the eight F-35 aircraft that will be delivered in 2019. Defence is also investing in the modernisation of the SMART-L radars on board the air defence and command (LC) frigates. In addition, Defence is also increasing the military’s striking power by investing in various capital ammunition types, including precision-guided munitions for the armoured howitzer, MK-48 torpedoes for the submarines and SM-2 guided missiles for the LC frigates.
For the investment budget, ambitions must be in line with the available resources, which means that choices have to be made. Various projects have been rearranged. The Chinook Replacement and Modernisation and the Defence-wide Replacement of Operational Wheeled Vehicles projects are more in line with the expected or desired realisation. Projects including medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (MALE UAV), the light indirect fire weapon system, the infantry fighting vehicle protection packs and the Electronic Warfare Capability Upgrade will be delayed.
Investing in personnel
Military and civilian personnel are Defence’s most important capital. Defence and most of the defence personnel unions (with the exception of the ACOP) reached a provisional outcome last week, when it was agreed that the margin for pay increases in the cross-sector agreement of 10 July 2015 would be implemented without modification in the defence sector. All defence personnel will therefore receive a total of a 5.05% pay increase and a one-off sum of EUR 500 (gross).
O último paragrafo lembra-me o que em Portugal se faz a nível do Pessoal das nossas FA: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
