Netherlands
Drone news in the Netherlands: regulations, industry updates, innovative uses, events, and the impact on businesses and communities in Holland.
F-15 Or Phantom Drone? UK Police Chopper Chased At 161 MPH
A UK Police helicopter crew got the scare of their careers over RAF Lakenheath in November 2024. They went up looking for drones. They found something much faster. And much stranger. As The Eurasian Times reported, the National Police Air…
Trump’s ‘Drone Guy’ Dan Driscoll Leads Ukraine Peace Talks After Praising Kyiv’s Drone Revolution
The same Army Secretary who announced America needs to buy 1 million drones because US contractors can’t keep up is now Trump’s unlikely peace envoy to Ukraine. His original mission? Acquiring the drone technology he’ll now pressure Kyiv to accept…
Dutch Military Fires on Drones Over NATO Air Base as European Incursions Escalate
The Dutch military fired weapons at unidentified drones flying over Volkel Air Base on Friday night, marking a significant escalation in Europe’s response to mysterious aircraft incursions over NATO facilities, Reuters reported. Security personnel at the southeastern Netherlands base spotted…
France Races Year-End Deadline For Ukraine Drone Deals As UK And Germany Dominate Funding
French drone manufacturers are scrambling to finalize co-production agreements with Ukraine before 2025 ends, but face stiff competition from Britain and Germany, which have already established direct funding channels and secured battlefield-proven partnerships. The November 17 meeting between Presidents Emmanuel…
Rheinmetall Bets Big on Code: Major Stake in Auterion Signals Shift to Software-Defined Warfare
German defense giant Rheinmetall has acquired a significant stake in U.S. drone software leader Auterion, signaling a massive industry shift where hardware manufacturers finally admit that future wars will be fought with code, not just explosives. Rheinmetall, the manufacturer behind…
UK Airports Face Inevitable Drone Attacks, Aviation Chief Warns After Belgium Shutdowns
The UK’s top aviation regulator has issued a stark warning that British airports will face disruption from organized drone attacks, declaring it “not a question of if, only of when” such drone incidents occur. The warning from the UK Civil…
French Fishing Nets Become Anti-Drone Barriers Protecting Ukraine From Russian FPV Attacks
Discarded fishing nets from Sweden and France’s Brittany coast are finding new purpose on Ukraine’s frontlines, where they’re being deployed as low-tech anti-drone barriers against Russian attack drones. The Breton charity Kernic Solidarités has delivered 280 kilometers (174 miles) of…
Belgium Mobilizes German Counter-Drone Support and Tightens Registration After Airport Shutdowns
Belgium is deploying German military counter-drone systems and strengthening drone registration enforcement after a wave of unidentified aircraft forced multiple airport closures and exposed critical gaps in European airspace security. The emergency response follows disruptions at Brussels Airport, Liège Airport,…
Germany Approves $563M For Anti-Drone Missiles That Won’t Arrive Until 2029
Germany’s parliament has approved approximately $563 million to develop and procure MBDA’s DefendAir counter-drone interceptor missiles, funding a weapon system that won’t reach serial production until 2029—more than four years away—even as small drone threats continue to escalate across Europe.…
Germany Awards $950M Drone Contract Despite Disastrous Test Results
Germany plans to award contracts worth up to €900 million ($950 million USD) for kamikaze drones to two defense start-ups and an established contractor, even as one company’s systems failed spectacularly during recent military trials. The Financial Times reports that…
EU’s Drone Defense Plan Sidelines Ukraine’s Proven Manufacturing Edge, Analyst Warns
The European Union’s ambitious drone defense roadmap is taking the wrong approach by limiting cooperation to EU-only initiatives rather than leveraging NATO structures and Ukraine’s battle-tested manufacturing capabilities, according to a Reuters Breakingviews analysis published today. Pierre Briancon, a Reuters…
Brazen Drone Incursion Over US Nuke Base: Has NATO Already Lost the Drone War?
Three large drones conducted targeted surveillance over Belgium’s Kleine Brogel airbase—which stores US nuclear weapons—on the night of November 1-2, 2025, evading Belgian military jammers and police helicopter pursuit in what Defense Minister Theo Francken called “a clear command targeting…