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News | 07-01-2013 | 09:46
Two Dutch Patriot systems departed today for the port of Emshaven near Delfzijl, escorted by the Royal Netherlands Military Police, for shipment to Turkey. A total of 150 vehicles and 130 trailers will transport the missile defence equipment to the seaport via the A50 and A28 roads. As part of Operation Anatolian Protector, these systems will protect our NATO allies from Scud missile attacks from Syria.
Military personnel from the Defense Ground Air Defense Command began the 300-kilometer overland journey from their base, the “Lieutenant Best” barracks in Friedeper. The two Patriot air defense systems, including radar stations and launchers, will be delivered in six convoys, each with 25 vehicles and about 20 trailers. In the port of Emshafen, the supplies will be loaded onto a cargo ship and then, accompanied by five military personnel, will go to Turkey, where they are expected to arrive on January 22.
Defense Minister General Tom Middendorp was there to see the military personnel off. He said: “From a military perspective, we stop further violence by showing our teeth. It may sound contradictory (…), but sometimes weapons are necessary to prevent further deaths and injuries. This is exactly how the Netherlands uses its armed forces, and we have seen this in successful anti-piracy operations.”
Tomorrow, about 30 Dutch and 20 German quartermasters will leave from Eindhoven Air Base to prepare for the mission. The main force of about 270 Dutch military personnel will leave on January 21.
The real threat
Turkey has asked NATO to help protect its people and territory from medium-range missiles from conflict hotspot Syria, its southern neighbour. Middendorp: “The threat is very real. These so-called Scud missiles have a range of hundreds of kilometres, so they can easily hit Turkish cities.”
The Netherlands, Germany and the United States will each be responsible for one region, sending two Patriot systems. The Netherlands will send to Adana, the largest city in southern Turkey with a population of 2.1 million.
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