The Netherlands wants to increase the size of the army by 25%

The Netherlands plans to increase the size of the army to 100 thousand people, that is, approximately by 25%, reported January 27 edition of Dutch News with reference to State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of the country Geys Tuinman.

According to him, the ministry now records a shortage of "tens of thousands" of soldiers in the army, which consists of 74 thousand people. More precise plans are expected to be made public by summer.

Tuinman clarified that the ministry does not intend to reintroduce conscription, and it is a matter of attracting people who would like to enlist themselves. Every year 4-5 thousand people join the Dutch army, and by 2029 this number wants to increase to 9 thousand.

In the Netherlands, all men aged 17-35 are obliged to register for potential conscription in case of a threat to the security of the state. At the same time, compulsory conscription has been abolished in the country since 1997.

Northern influence: Denmark to increase military aid to Ukraine by $1.3 bln

Why the kingdom is so obsessed with supporting Kiev

In early December 2024, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of AIM-120D3 air-to-air guided missiles and equipment to the Netherlands for up to $807 million. In particular, the U.S. side should provide encryption devices, spare parts and a number of services along with the missiles.