Dutch Army Reinstates Tank Unit After 10-Year Hiatus
The Dutch army is set to establish its own tank unit for the first time in over a decade, according to local media. This initiative aims to fulfill NATO's defense spending target and is projected to cost between 260 million and 315 million euros annually.
- Country:
- Netherlands
The Dutch army will establish its own tank unit for the first time in more than a decade, as reported by local media on Tuesday. Citing excerpts from a defense white paper to be unveiled on Thursday, this move will help the Netherlands meet NATO's defense spending target of at least 2% of GDP.
The annual cost for setting up this unit is estimated to range between 260 million and 315 million euros ($347.82 million), according to NRC Handelsblad.
Included in this budget are the purchasing costs of new tanks, likely to be the Leopard 2, produced by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The Leopard 2 has been a part of the Dutch land army for 40 years. ($1 = 0.9056 euros).
(With inputs from agencies.)