The Netherlands, in cooperation with Denmark and Germany, will purchase RQ-35 Heidrun UAVs for Ukraine
15 April, 2024 RQ-35 Heidrun UAV. Photo from open sources The Netherlands will purchase RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones for Ukraine worth EUR200 million.
The drones will be procured in cooperation with Denmark and Germany as part of the Drone Coalition. The press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported about this after an extraordinary meeting of the Coalition's steering group held the day before. In March of this year, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren, following a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine, said that the Netherlands would purchase aviation weapons for F-16 fighter jets, which would soon be transferred to Ukraine.
The Dutch government also decided to purchase EUR200 million worth of reconnaissance UAVs for Ukraine.
The RQ-35 Heidrun drones in Ukraine, which Mark Hamill helped raise funds for. Photo credits: @U24_gov_ua
However, it was not specified at the time what type of drones were being purchased.
It was only noted that their purchase would be made in coordination with other partner countries and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And now the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has reported that it regarded RQ-35 Heidrun drones, which would be purchased in cooperation with Denmark and Germany. However, it is not known what role these countries play in the procurement of these UAVs.
RQ-35 Heidrun drone
The RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones are manufactured by the Danish company Sky-Watch and are designed for reconnaissance and target detection at low altitudes.
The fixed-wing RQ-35 Heidrun is launched from the hand. The radius of data collection and streaming video transmission reaches up to 30 km, while the generation of new 2D/3D mapping material reaches up to 25 kilometers.
Ukrainian military with the RQ-35 Heidrun drone by Sky Watch. Photo credits: ArmyInform
The fully equipped RQ-35 Heidrun unmanned aircraft system, together with a short-range patch antenna, fits into a backpack. As Militarnyi reported, last week the Dutch government agreed to allocate an additional billion euros in military aid in addition to the EUR2 billion the Netherlands had previously planned to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2024.
The country will provide EUR3 billion in military aid next year and allocate EUR400 million to support the economy and repair Ukraine's critical infrastructure.