Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

A top Dutch military official has announced the addition of specialized drone and counter-drone units to every combat formation in the military.

Some shit you should know before you read: Since the war in Ukraine broke out, drones have fundamentally reshaped modern warfare by providing low-cost, high-impact capabilities that challenge traditional military advantages. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have deployed millions of small, commercially available drones for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and precision attacks, transforming them into indispensable battlefield tools. Some numbers indicate that roughly 80% of infantry casualties for both Russia and Ukraine have been caused by drone-directed attacks, particularly through first-person-view (FPV) drones dropping grenades. Small drones costing as little as a few hundred dollars have destroyed multimillion-dollar systems, including tanks, radar stations, and air defense units.

What’s going on now: While appearing on a podcast, Dutch Chief of Defense Gen. Onno Eichelsheim outlined a plan to embed drone and counter-drone capabilities across every level of the army, stressing that “unmanned systems were going to play a much greater role” in the military. He said the Netherlands will begin recruiting between 1,000 and 1,200 personnel starting in April specifically for these roles, integrating them directly into combat units rather than treating drones as a separate specialty.

As part of this push, the Netherlands has already begun investing in dedicated counter-drone systems to protect troops and infrastructure. The military has ordered Skyranger anti-drone systems from Rheinmetall, which are designed to detect and destroy incoming drones and loitering munitions, with both mobile and fixed configurations planned.

The Netherlands will now join many other countries that have already made major investments in drone and counter-drone warfare, as militaries across the world race to adapt to the realities of modern war. Ukraine has led the way by embedding drone units throughout its forces and working closely with industry to rapidly iterate battlefield technology, while Russia has scaled up mass drone production and deployment to similar effect. Other NATO members, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have expanded dedicated drone units and procurement programs, though most still rely on more centralized structures rather than fully integrating them into every combat formation.