Dutch MP's increasingly interested in "killer drones"

A majority in the lower house of the Dutch parliament wants the Ministry of Defense to attach bombs and missiles to its four newest drone aircraft, according to De Telegraaf.

The Netherlands recently acquired four MQ-9 Reaper drones intended for surveillance by air. The parliamentarians want to arm them so that "killer drones" are available in case they are needed due to the war in Ukraine.

"The war in Ukraine shows that armed drones can make a difference," VVD parliamentarian Peter Valstar said to the newspaper. "The Ukrainian army has dealt a major blow to the Russian army with the deployment of these drones. I think it's a shame that the Netherlands has these high-quality drones and only uses them for intelligence gathering."

Coalition parties VVD, CDA, and ChristenUnie and opposition parties PVV, JA21, and SGP support the idea of arming the new drones. They'll submit a motion to that effect next week, according to De Telegraaf.

The Ministry of Defense is currently looking at the options, a spokesperson said to the newspaper.