Drones have been making headlines across Europe in recent weeks. Buzzing over airports, military bases, or critical infrastructure. But it takes time to deliver sophisticated air-defense systems capable of shooting them down. That's why the Dutch military is turning to a makeshift solution: an improvised, mobile anti-drone system built from existing armored vehicles, remote-controlled guns, and battlefield software.
The stop-gap setup is designed to give infantry units a way to track and fire on low-flying drones long before the country's advanced Skyranger 30 cannons are scheduled to arrive in 2028. Officials say the approach is born out of necessity, responding to the growing drone threat that has caused significant disruption on the battlefield in Ukraine and across Dutch airspace.
The system will bolt a remote-controlled weapon station onto wheeled armor and integrate it with combat management tools, giving troops a level of protection they currently lack. While the Defence Ministry has not disclosed how many will be built or exactly when they will be deployed, the project sits alongside broader investments in radars, interceptor drones, vehicle-mounted C-UAS kits, and naval "hard-kill" systems.
State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman:
"The importance of counter-UAS capabilities for combating unmanned systems is considerable. The Ministry of Defence is therefore investing in additional C-UAS resources and in this is incorporating lessons from the war in Ukraine."
"There is therefore a capability gap between, on the one hand, protecting units that do not themselves have a kinetic system for taking out unmanned aerial systems and, on the other hand, building up a layered self defense of naval vessels to supplement the close-in weapon and soft-kill systems."
"A defense system against medium-range threats from unmanned systems is therefore an urgent need that will increase the survivability of our sailing units."
For now, this improvised fix offers a crucial stop-gap, keeping the Dutch military one step ahead of drones while more advanced solutions are on the way.
Further reading:
Drone sightings force hours-long shutdown at Eindhoven Airport.
For more information, check out the following links: here and here (via Defense News).