Defense firms frustrated by Dutch bureaucracy include top Ukraine drone producer
Dutch bureaucracy is standing in the way of the government’s wish to produce more Defense materials in the Netherlands. Ukraine’s largest drone and missile manufacturer has decided against bringing part of its production to the Netherlands, Fire Point director Denis Shtilerman told Nieuwsuur on Tuesday, the same day as anti-drone system maker Noorder Dynamics complained that permit procedures are taking significantly longer than developing their systems had.
According to Shtilerman, whose company currently produces 200 drones and three flamingo cruise missiles per day, navigating the bureaucracy in the Netherlands feels like “running with a leaden backpack.” His company is eager to collaborate with the Netherlands and other European countries, but it's just not feasible, he told Nieuwsuur.
Setting up a new production line in Ukraine takes two days, Shtilerman said. That sounds unreal compared to European standards. “The Netherlands does a lot for us, but waiting a year and a half before you are allowed to build something? We don’t have that time.” He does buy parts for his rockets in the Netherlands, but the “complicated rules” are an obstacle for him to establish a production line here.
Noorder Dynamics, which developed a mobile anti-drone system in a standard delivery van, expressed similar criticism on Wednesday. It took the Rotterdam-based defense company seven months to develop its system and file the patent application. And now, three consecutive government processes are blocking the test phase.
According to the company, the total lead time amounts to five months in the best-case scenario and two years in the worst-case. The average is around 10 months.
“We built this in seven months,” co-founder Danny Bouwer said. “The licensing process may take longer than the development itself. Military technology is advancing faster than the regulations that enable its deployment. That is a problem that affects more than just us.”
“Europe is looking for fast and flexible solutions for air defense. We have built one,” said Santiago Martina, the other co-founder of Noorder Dynamics. But now it’s stuck in an unending licensing process. “That is a competitive disadvantage that affects the entire Dutch defense industry.”
