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.

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).