Netherlands sends three Patriot launchers to Ukraine

The Netherlands has delivered three Patriot air defence missile launchers to Ukraine in response to the ongoing air attacks on the country.

“The Netherlands decided to join France's initiative to develop long-range missiles,” Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced on his X page, Caliber.Az reports.

"European countries need long-range missiles," Brekelmans stated. "That's why I announced in Paris that the Netherlands wants to participate in the French initiative to develop them."

This initiative, known as ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Approach), aims to develop land-based cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Sweden are also involved in the project, which is expected to take several years to complete. The cost of the project has not yet been disclosed.

He added that the Netherlands are keen to join the MGCS program, which is intended to produce a new main battle tank for the French and German armies by 2040.

"We'll need to take a practical approach and see how far we can go," he acknowledged.

Brekelmans underlined the necessity to be resourceful and innovative in order to make greater contributions to European defence and NATO.

By Vafa Guliyeva