https://nltimes.nl/2026/04/01/dutch-armed-forces-recruiting-1200-drone-specialists-first-reported-duty-today

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Joland Dubbeldam
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Wednesday, 1 April 2026 - 17:50

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Dutch armed forces recruiting 1,200 drone specialists; First reported
for duty today

The first of 1,200 drone specialists started working at the Dutch
Armed Forces on Wednesday. These soldiers will be trained to fight
with drones and protect themselves and their comrades against enemy
drones, AD reports.

The Dutch Armed Forces can no longer ignore the figures coming from
Ukraine, Brigadier General Joland Dubbeldam, who was tasked with
preparing the Dutch army for a new way of fighting, told AD. When
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, 80 percent of the losses were caused
by artillery shells. Now four out of five soldiers are fatally struck
by drones, he said. Every hour, 80 Russian soldiers are killed by
drones in Ukraine.

Drones create many unprecedented possibilities, Dubbeldam told the
newspaper. Everything is suddenly visible. It is much more
complicated to try to hide troop movements. Drones also allow for
fighting at a much greater distance. "And thus keeps the immediate
danger from their own people for as long as possible."

Dutch soldiers have been experimenting with drones for about five
years, but things are now getting really serious. The first drone
specialist reported for duty today. Within two years, the army wants
to increase that number to 1,200 soldiers capable of fighting with
drones and protecting themselves against enemy devices.

The drone soldiers won't form a separate unit within the army, but
are distributed among the existing battalions. The intention is to
have a drone specialist in every combat unit deployed to the front.
All soldiers will also receive drone training so that they can
operate drones themselves if the situation calls for it.

In addition to training to physically use the drones and keep up with
the constantly changing technology, the drone specialists also
undergo special training on the moral and ethical aspects of this
method of waging war. Drone operators see close-up images of the
misery their guns inflict on their opponents, unlike in typical
warfare. "We really need to prepare our people well for that,"
Dubbeldam said.

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