Netherlands to invest in laser weapons to counter drones

The Netherlands will invest in laser weapons designed to disable enemy drones, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported Thursday.

State Secretary for Defense Gijs Tuinman said the growing use of drones in conflicts in the Middle East and recent incidents closer to the Netherlands showed the need for more effective defenses against them.

He said laser systems could disable drones faster and at a lower cost than missiles such as the Patriot, particularly when dealing with large numbers of drones.

The Netherlands signed a contract last year with an Australian company to develop laser systems in the country in cooperation with the Dutch research organization TNO.

Tuinman said the Defense Ministry was pleased with a prototype already developed under the project and that the system could reduce the country's dependence on other nations for air defense equipment.

The ministry has not disclosed how much it plans to spend on the laser systems.

The Netherlands' Defense White Paper, published this summer, said the armed forces would invest heavily in unmanned systems and defenses against them.

It said more than half of the military's operational capabilities should be delivered through unmanned systems within five years.