Speech by Dutch Minister for Arms Procurement and Personnel at NL-US Defense Industry days in Washington DC
Good morning, dear allies and partners;
It is truly wonderful to be here with you today.
In these trying times, it is good to see each other in person…
…And to reinforce the bond of our transatlantic alliance.
Our bond has deep historic roots; in 1774, American revolutionaries bought gunpowder from the Dutch during the American Revolution.
2 years later, the Dutch became the first to acknowledge American independence by returning the salute fired by the US warship Andrew Doria as it reached the island of Saint Eustatius.
And in 1781, while serving as the American envoy to the Dutch Republic, future US President John Adams sent his 2 sons to study in the Dutch city of Leiden.
Upon visiting Leiden, he wrote a letter in which he stated:
I have been in the most curious Country, among the most incomprehensible People and under the most singular Constitution of Government in the World.
I’m sure some outsiders would still describe the Dutch in similar terms…
Nevertheless, those American revolutionaries and ‘incomprehensible’ Dutch people gave rise to 2 democratic nations; 2 allies who share the same ideal of freedom.
80 years ago, US soldiers crossed an ocean to fight for the freedom of Europe.
And when the world changed on that clear September morning in 2001, the Dutch and our shared allies didn’t hesitate to answer your call.
Today, free Europeans and Americans work and thrive side by side as members of NATO.
And we are being asked once again to take a historic step forward, to defend each other’s freedom.
Once again, terror is seeking to silence our convictions;
For war is back in Europe.
Ukrainians have been fighting a brutal adversary for over 3 years now.
Their courageous fight prevents Putin’s war from spreading to other parts of Europe.
However, hybrid attacks are already taking place across Europe, including in my country.
Over the past weeks, various locations in Europe have been plagued by large amounts of ‘mysterious’ drones – testing the strength of our response, our resilience, and most of all: our alliance.
Putin is testing us in every way possible and he has been very explicit about his desire to restore the influence and territory of the Soviet Union.
But with every line he crosses, he reveals the lines that we must hold:
The lines of unity;
The lines of delivery;
And the lines of courage.
Let me start with the line of unity.
Europe and the Netherlands must rise to the occasion and continue to take on greater responsibility for our own security;
Our own defence;
And most importantly, our own deterrence posture.
NATO will thrive only if it is supported by many broad shoulders, not by a select few.
It is the armed forces that fight for freedom…
But a nation’s economy, industry, and resilient society are what ultimately win wars.
Therefore, you – our allies in industry – will play a crucial role when we have to cross that bridge.
Because you can make sure that our armed forces are better equipped than any enemy out there.
Not with cannons and gun powder, but with a combination of conventional materiel and the modern technologies of our times.
I fully realize that this is a two-way street.
If we want to defend our freedom, we need to invest in each other to grow smarter and stronger together.
And most importantly, to ensure strategic convergence, we need to be united.
To achieve true strength we must focus on standardization.
What matters most are the quantities:
not the variety of materiel, but the sheer number of identical items.
Only by mass-producing the same weapon systems can we overwhelm our adversaries and secure victory in any future great battle.
Personally, I continue to be impressed by the strength of American innovation in the fields of big tech and unmanned systems.
The Netherlands armed forces use American drones, Tomahawks, deep strike capabilities and other advanced technology.
So I come here to learn and seek partnerships in unity and purpose.
And that brings me to the line of delivery.
Because I have something to give, too.
The Netherlands is committing over one billion euros to strengthen our defence industry.
We are setting up our own technological ecosystems; collaborating with – and learning from – the US.
We have champions in every weight class:
We have world-class expertise, brilliant start-ups, a strong manufacturing base, and forward-thinking regions.
The Netherlands is stepping up its efforts…
…aiming to take the lead in five key technological areas in which we excel, areas such as quantum technology, space technology and sensors.
That’s why I’m pleased to see that our government is investing in coordinated demand through a dedicated government-to-government office.
Its mission is to consolidate international demand and foster collaboration between industry, research institutions, and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.
For businesses, this means clarity, certainty, and access.
What’s good enough for the Netherlands, is good enough for France, Germany and the USA!
Now is the time to deliver, deliver, deliver.
And while I don’t expect Americans to speak European languages – let alone Dutch – it is essential that our defence materiel does speak the same language.
Following the line of unity, anything we develop and buy together has to be interoperable.
So I am thrilled to announce that I signed a Letter of Intent today for cooperation on “Autonomous and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)”.
By means of this agreement, the Netherlands Armed Forces are taking their first step towards participating in the United States CCA programme.
Both of our countries acknowledge the need to pursue and adopt emerging technologies and capabilities to ensure our continued strength and interoperability.
Today I also signed an agreement with General Atomics to develop innovative defense capabilities starting with a small unmanned aircraft system designed to provide multi-role intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
The new platform will be low cost and able to host a variety of operationally relevant payloads and capabilities.
This project is an example of strategic trans-Atlantic collaboration that supports our defense and technological base as we contribute to the defense of Ukraine and NATO by creating a versatile European defense system and working with a strong US partner.
VDL Defentec has been selected by GA-ASI to provide contract manufacturing of the new SUAS.
Dear allies and partners, I’ve come to the last line that we must hold.
The line of courage.
Our freedom is increasingly dependent on the tenacity shown on factory floors and the creativity of bright minds.
If we want to protect our freedom, we must have the courage to rewrite the rules of industry.
History is full of bright minds who were ignored by the systems they sought to improve.
Even in the military field, where innovation saves lives.
Let’s make sure that we don’t make the same mistake,
And give room and opportunities to innovators who challenge the status quo.
We need innovation. Deregulation. Upscaling.
We need to scale up on the basis of aggregated demand.
We need to invest and build our capabilities together.
We need to help our industry in strengthening supply chains, leading to faster delivery.
We need to be quicker, better and more innovative.
We need allies across borders and industries, but it all starts by giving the bright minds of every generation the freedom, time and confidence to rethink established practices and challenge old ways.
And we need to take action now.
Because times will get much, much tougher than they are now.
But when times get tough, the tough get going.
So let’s get going.
Let’s strengthen the bond that American revolutionaries and ‘incomprehensible’ Dutch people built over 250 years ago.
Let’s pay forward the peace that our ancestors fought for.
Let’s hold our lines of unity, delivery and courage, together.
Thank you very much.