NOS News•
Defense fired at two days of rockets this week from the Breezanddijk, in the middle of the Afsluitdijk. A total of sixteen rockets were fired, reports Defense in one press release.
While the missiles were fired, there was traffic on the Afsluitdijk, you can see in a photo that was distributed by the Ministry of Defense. A spokesperson reports to the ANP news agency that the test could hardly be heard or seen for motorists who drove over the Afsluitdijk because the installation was behind a shore. The tests were also performed during the day, so that no glow of the rockets in the air could be seen.
The rockets landed about 10 kilometers away in the IJsselmeer in a test section of 4 by 15 kilometers where no shipping traffic was allowed. There was no explosive in the rockets. “All projectiles came down within the margins of the target area,” reports Defense.
Delivered from 2026
Since last year, the Royal Netherlands Army has four so-called precision and universal launch systems that gain experience. These have been developed by the Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems. The permanent systems will be supplied from 2026. The Netherlands has with this system for the first time in years Again own rocket artillery.
With less than a second in between, the system can fire six unguided rockets. The rockets have a range of up to a few hundred kilometers. According to the Ministry of Defense, the rocket artillery system is “a significant strengthening of the Dutch firepower at the army. It is needed for deterrence or substantial strength in the fight.”