Members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Cooperation Committee (BDO) visited the Land Forces Command on May 16. Members from several factions participated in the visit: Koen Petersen (VVD/committee chairman), Henk Marquart Scholtz (BBB), Madeleine van Toorenburg (CDA), Gom van Strien (PVV) and Karin van Bijsterveld (JA21).
Heart of the Dutch Artillery
The visit took place at the Fire Support Command in t Harde; the heart of the Dutch artillery. During this visit, members had the opportunity to engage in discussions with military personnel, among other topics about the changing focus of Defence towards their primary task, namely protecting the territory of the Netherlands and allies. This work visit also highlighted that financial stability at Defence is of great importance for (re)acquiring resources and for training and retaining military personnel. Additionally, challenges regarding finding space for the expansion of Defence locations and conducting exercises were discussed.
Space for Defence
The delegation was received by the Commander of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Jan Swillens and the commander of the Fire Support Command, Colonel Rob ten Horn. After a brief introduction, the delegation moved to the field. There, the delegation inspected the shooting range and received an explanation of what space for defence means. This area is also used by many other defence units, including the Royal Marechaussee and the police. Subsequently, the members of the Senate were able to familiarize themselves with innovative training methodologies in a simulator of the armored howitzer. Finally, the delegation members received explanations about the PULS (Precision and Universal Launch System for missiles) and the Multi-Mission Radar, which is capable of detecting multiple targets simultaneously. The close cooperation with the Dutch business community was also discussed.