The Netherlands army, which currently has some 43,000 active soldiers and 24,000 civilian staff, should include 100,000 members by 2030 and be able to mobilize 100,000 more in the event of a crisis. This is what Gijs Tuinman, the Secretary of State for Defense, said on Tuesday 25 March. He revealed what he considers to be “Long -term vision” of his ministry, supposed to ensure resilience in peacetime and preparation for a possible conflict. According to Dutch Defense officials, a major conflict could occur within five to ten years.
The government therefore wants to have armed forces “Modular”capable of facing new threats and counting on reinforced staff in the event of attack, explains the text transmitted to the deputies of the second chamber. The change to be made must be fast and will require “New ways of working, training and equipping yourself”underlined Mr. Tuinman, member of the BBB peasant party and former lieutenant-colonel. He carried out various missions in Africa and Afghanistan and was an advisor for special operations at the Ministry of Defense.
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Source: Lemonde