DGermany and the Netherlands want to further advance their military integration. “A complete integration of our armies, the land forces of Germany and the Netherlands, yes, we are open to that,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday evening at joint government consultations in Rotterdam. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said: “The extensive mutual integration of our armed forces is unique in Europe.” On Thursday, the 13th Light Brigade of the Royal Army will be subordinated to the 10th Armored Division of the German Army; all combat units are then integrated into the Bundeswehr.
The 13th Light Brigade, based in Oirschot, is one of three combat brigades in the Dutch Armed Forces. It includes two armored infantry battalions and one armored engineer battalion. The units use, like the Bundeswehr, wheeled armored vehicles of the type Boxer and the armored car Fennek.
The 10th Panzer Division, whose staff is stationed in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg, is to form the focus of German national and alliance defense in the future and can therefore be deployed quickly. On the German side it has a Panzer and Panzergrenadier Brigade. In an emergency, the Dutch soldiers are under German command, but their deployment requires a political decision in The Hague.
The integration of the army forces began in 1995 with the formation of the German-Dutch Corps in Münster. This command staff can lead a large formation of up to 100,000 men. In 2014 the 11th Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Army was incorporated into the German Rapid Forces Division. Two years later, the 43rd Mechanized Brigade was subordinated to the German 1st Panzer Division. This unit includes a mixed tank battalion in Lohheide; a Dutch company is equipped with 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks leased from Germany. Rutte had discussed buying back these tanks and donating them to Ukraine in January, but Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) rejected this.
Scholz confirmed in Rotterdam that 18 battle tanks from the Bundeswehr stocks had now been handed over to Ukraine. The next to follow are Leopard 1A5s, which are currently still being repaired, in which the Netherlands also wants to contribute financially. Both countries have already delivered the 2000 self-propelled howitzer to Kiev and promised the Patriot missile defense system. Together they train Ukrainian soldiers as part of the EUMAM mission.
Rutte and Scholz announced their willingness to continue supporting Ukraine militarily. They want to jointly procure artillery ammunition for the country. Germany wants to expand existing framework agreements with industry, especially Rheinmetall. Regarding the possible delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine or the training of fighter pilots, Rutte said there were no taboos, but no decisions either: “We are talking intensively with our partners.”