Dutch commandos short of equipment

(B2) The Dutch army suffers from a shortage, even in elite units such as the commandos (Korps Commandotroepen).

According to RTL who published a confidential inventory of the armed forces, " just about every type of equipment is missing. Vehicles, radios, weapons, night vision and ammunition, everything is out of order or not in stock. "" The equipment is old and worn and therefore dangerous. » A shortage that some shooting exercises have been reduced. As for the training of new commandos, it is interrupted until the beginning of next year, because there is too little equipment for training.

External operations affected

Even during external operations, as in Iraq, the situation appears very tense. Bushmasters (armored vehicles) are not usable due to lack of maintenance and parts. A heavy .50 caliber pistol exploded during a drill.

A solution: reduction of shipments in operation

Armed Forces Commander Tom Middendorp does not deny the problem. " There is a huge employability problem, which is known ". To overcome it, currently, the solution is simple, according to the general. " I don't send a mission or in a shorter way, or with fewer people in operation. People in operation must do their job well ". Budgets have been released to remedy a few situations. But to return to a correct level, it will take several years. " We need the whole budget period to do it in a perfect way ».

NB: the Netherlands has one of the lowest defense spending rates among NATO countries (1,17% in 2017). And on the equipment side, the deal is not great. Certainly compared to 2014, the increase is significant: 16,80% of the budget devoted to equipment in 2017 compared to just over 10% in 2014. But there is some catching up to do.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)