Dutch Army to have its own tank battalion for the first time in 13 years

The Netherlands has announced plans to rebuild its own tank battalion after losing all its tanks in 2011.

Here's What We Know

The country will purchase nearly 50 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks to meet NATO's need for a reliable ground combat force. The country is expected to spend up to $350 million annually to maintain the new battalion and cover the costs of about 350 soldiers.

Previously, at the height of the Cold War, the Netherlands had nearly 1,000 fully operational tanks, but defence budget cuts forced the army to gradually abandon them all by 2011.

So Amsterdam decided to lease Leopard 2 tanks from Berlin in 2015 to have at least some reinforcement for the ground forces. But they were integrated into a German unit and deployed abroad.

Overall, the decision to get rid of all the tanks was controversial, but then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the country had to make a "difficult choice" after the 2008 crisis. However, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands realised the need for adequate ground equipment.

Source: NRC