OMM Redaksiyası
The Netherlands plans to invest in laser weapons designed to disable enemy drones, public broadcaster NOS reported on Thursday.
State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman said the increasing use of drones in conflicts in the Middle East, along with recent incidents closer to the Netherlands, demonstrated the need for more effective counter-drone systems.
Laser systems seen as cheaper alternative
According to Tuinman, laser weapons could disable drones more quickly and at a lower cost than missiles such as the Patriot system, particularly when confronting large numbers of unmanned aircraft.
The Netherlands signed a contract last year with an Australian company to develop laser systems domestically in cooperation with Dutch research organisation TNO.
Tuinman said the Defence Ministry was satisfied with a prototype developed under the project. He added that the system could help reduce the Netherlands’ dependence on other countries for air-defence equipment.
Investment details remain undisclosed
The ministry has not said how much it intends to spend on the laser systems.
The Netherlands’ Defence White Paper, published this summer, said the armed forces would make major investments in unmanned systems and technologies designed to defend against them.
The document said more than half of the military’s operational capabilities should be delivered through unmanned systems within five years.
