European countries want to strengthen military cooperation. Among other things, this should happen in the maritime field, in air defence and in being able to detect moving targets.
Dutch Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans signed three so-called Lettersof Intent (LoIs) to this end. This happened on 19 November at the end of the Defence Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
Brekelmans: ‘In the interest of our own security, we need a strong NATO, with more European cooperation within it. European countries must together make a greater contribution to our security. This requires more cooperation with our allies. The Letters of Intent signed today are a step in the right direction and are going to help us achieve this.’
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Future-proof vessels and drone swarms
The first Letter of Intent concerned cooperation in the maritime domain. For NATO’s northern flank, good protection and defence from and at sea is of great importance. In addition, the threat in the North Sea is increasing. Therefore, member states are joining forces. This is done in the search for future-proof vessels and new modular weapon systems.
The second LoI focuses on air defence. Innovations such as drone swarms are a major threat to NATO and, thus, also to the Netherlands. With new technology, the member states want to be able to face the threats.
Developing loitering ammunition is a big priority for NATO. Think, for example, of drones that can detect moving targets. With explosive payloads on board, the systems are capable of disabling a target after detection. Reason for the member states of the European Defence Agency to sign a third LoI intended to jointly develop this capability.
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Support and combat readiness
In Brussels, EU Defence Ministers further discussed the Annual Review on Defence. This report provides insight into key trends in defence spending, planning and cooperation. Together, the countries look at where to develop capabilities as a collective, where there are practical opportunities and where further research is possible.
A working session also discussed EU military support to Ukraine. Topics included Ukraine’s victory plan, in the presence of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian Defence Minister Roestem Umarov. Another working session focused on defence readiness, or European defence readiness. In it, member states considered issues around civilian and military resilience.
Picture: NATO flags (by Dutch Ministry of Defence).
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