Dutch military could base fighter jets at civilian airports given rising global tensions

The Dutch military is investigating whether fighter aircraft can jointly use the civil airports in Eelde, Lelystad, and Twente, the Ministry of Defense announced on Friday. Due to rising international tensions, the military will need much more space in the coming years.

Last year, the ministry presented plans for expansion. These included additional ammunition storage places, more space for fighter aircraft, more training areas, and more options for low-flying helicopters. The ministry received over 2,200 responses to the plans. About a fifth of the questions were about areas where fighter jets fly overhead.

The Defense Ministry answered some of those questions on Friday, also specifying where it wants to expand. The shared use of civilian airports is one option, and the ministry is investigating the possibility at the three airports. The airports in Rotterdam and Maastricht are ruled out because flight movements already cause a lot of disruption there. The ministry may also expand exiting air bases like Leeuwarden, Volkel, Woensdrecht, or Eindhoven. De Peel can also be reactivated as a base.

People are mainly concerned about the impact on quality of life and health if more flight movements take place. They also want to know whether they can expect compensation if there are more fighter jets in the area. The ministry will conduct a study into the health effects of more flying.

The armed forces need more space to train and practice sufficiently. The plans could also have consequences for housing, wind turbines, and water storage, among other things.

The military is also looking for an additional location for large-scale ammunition storage in Flevloand, Gelderland, or Overijssel. It is also considering Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe for ammunition storage capacity that can be deployed quickly.

The Army also wants to concentrate units in the center of the country. A new barracks in Flevoland is still a possibility, as is the expansion of the barracks in Stroe and Ermelo.

Over the next two months, representatives from the ministry and the military will visit all provinces to explain its plans. The Cabinet is expected to make a decision next spring.