Overview
- Security guards spotted multiple drones over Volkel airbase on Friday evening between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and Air Force personnel fired from the ground to stop them.
- The drones left the area and have not been recovered, and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and police are investigating with the purpose of the flights unknown.
- The ministry declined to disclose how the drones were detected or which systems were used to respond, citing security concerns and the sensitivity of countermeasures.
- Experts note that small, low‑flying drones are often lost in radar clutter and that detection is not consistently linked to interception tools, while kinetic takedowns and signal jamming carry safety risks, including documented collateral damage and potential interference with aviation systems.
- Defence is buying 22 Rheinmetall Skyranger anti‑aircraft guns and testing alternatives such as lasers, capture nets, interceptor drones, Smart Shooter aiming aids, and microwave weapons, as private developer AI Armaments pursues grenade‑equipped interceptors constrained by Dutch law.