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News | May 31, 2024 | 13:34
The study on more space for different activities of the armed forces has been enriched and adjusted. This was in response to more than 2,200 comments received by the Ministry of Defence. Three things are clear. The Dutch see the usefulness and necessity of giving more space to the armed forces. People also seem to appreciate the transparency of the process. However, there are concerns about the increase of nuisance.
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Defense Announcement December 15, 2023 Pay attention to scope and level of detail Delivered to the House of Representatives. This is a list of the minimum requirements needed by the armed forces to defend their own and their allies’ territory. This is known as Main Mission 1.
As the world security situation deteriorates, credible deterrence is very important. Additional space is needed for exercises, ammunition storage, and Allied operations in the Netherlands. All provinces are in the picture for this additional space. Everyone has to submit comments by February 12th to respond to these plans. This has happened many times before.
The Ministry of Defense responded to all points today. This was done once and for all. Reply to comments to the House of Representatives. The plan is reviewed based on all the suggestions, opportunities, concerns and additions in the comments. Some studies will be carried out on this basis. For example, the health effects of fighter jets flying will be studied in depth. In addition, the search area has become more specific.
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Fighter capacity
Consider finding more space for Dutch F-35 fighters to fly and to accommodate foreign fighters for training or use during periods of increased alert. Another option is that these fighters will soon also use civilian airports. Which airports qualify for this offer has not yet been made clear. Now it is. Lelystad, Eerde and Twente are under investigation.
Search areas that were sometimes still large in the Scope and Detail (NRD) Memorandum, such as ammunition dumps and jump areas, have been reduced. For 9 of the 13 extra-regional requirements, the study of environmental impacts and the quality of human settlements has been expanded based on the comments submitted. The Environmental Impact Assessment Committee has also explicitly requested attention to these impacts.
A suggestion that is often made is that the Ministry of Defence should conduct more exercises abroad rather than in the Netherlands. This already happens quite often. However, allies are expanding their own armed forces, which means that space there is also becoming increasingly scarce. In addition, there is a need to conduct training in the Netherlands. This is done in order to attract and retain staff.
Information Sessions
The Ministry of Defence organises information sessions in all provinces in June and July. The first event will take place on Monday 10 June in Zwolle, in the province of Overijssel. Locations and dates of all meetings are hereThe defense explained the adjustments made in response to the comments. Follow-up processes were also discussed. The known results of the (PlanMER) study to date were shared. There was room to provide additional insights during the meeting.
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