Dutch ministers pledge new Patriot system for Ukraine defence
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence visited Kyiv, where they announced a substantial support package for Ukraine. Among the pledges was a promise to deliver another Patriot system.
Newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp and new Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. It marked the Dutch ministers' first official foreign visit since the new government's formation.
According to Radio Svoboda, discussions included financial support for identifying the deceased. The Netherlands will provide 2 million euros (approximately 1.7 million pounds) for forensic investigations and corpse identification and will also make its forensic laboratory available for use on the front lines.
The Netherlands will provide the Patriot system
On this occasion, essential declarations concerning military support were made. According to previous announcements, the Netherlands, along with its partners, will deliver an additional Patriot complex to Ukraine to bolster air defence.
"Today we discussed how this initiative will be implemented and the expected delivery time of this complex (Patriot - ed.) to Ukraine," said Dmytro Kuleba.
Dutch Patriots
So far, the Netherlands has been providing single launchers but is changing its approach and aims to play a primary role in delivering the Patriot systems, which consist not only of launchers but also of a command post and a phased array radar responsible for detecting targets.
The Patriot system is an advanced missile and air defence system developed by the American company Raytheon. It detects, tracks, and destroys incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
The system's specifications include the AN/MPQ-65 radar, which can track up to 100 targets simultaneously. Ukraine will likely receive PAC-2 GEM-T missiles with a traditional fragmentation warhead, offering a range of approximately 160 kilometres.
The system's mobility enables its rapid deployment and adaptation to changing combat conditions. The Patriot has proven its effectiveness during the war in Ukraine, where it not only protects cities and strategic facilities but also serves offensive purposes (recently, it was confirmed that a launcher was used to shoot down a Beriev A-50 aircraft).
