Toespraak staatssecretaris Tuinman bij VIP Social NEDS
De toespraak is alleen beschikbaar in het Engels.
Good afternoon,
At a lot of events, people throw around the term ‘VIP’ without much thought, but in this case the NIDV wasn’t exaggerating: you really are very important to our defence industry, and I’m genuinely glad to welcome such a big group here today.
The last major defence industry event was the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum this summer.
Back then, the big question was whether we’d all actually be able to get on the same page. Well, by now we know the answer: we are all on the same page. Five percent of GDP for security, three-and-a-half for Defence.
That tells us that we have recognized the urgency is recognized. And now it’s on us — Defence — but also on you — the defence industry — to really push forward. We must use this momentum to actually deliver results.
I know there’s criticism of the Ministry of Defence. Too slow, too bureaucratic, hard to access, and so on. And yes that’s often justified.
But from my own experience, I also know the military isn’t just any organization. When things truly matter, we can be incredibly fast and flexible.
Back when I was still an operator in the Commando Corps, I experienced it countless times: waiting, waiting, waiting.
Would we get the green light, or not?
We had often carefully planned and prepared for a mission, only to have it called off at the last minute.
But not always. Because sometimes you did get that green light — and then it was go-go-go. Once, in Afghanistan, my team and I got the go for a new mission in the middle of the night. We flew out to the mission area, jumped from the helicopter, took cover and quickly realised we’d been dropped in the wrong place.
Eight kilometres off route, snow starting to fall, GPS down, the enemy already aware of us — and we had an ice-cold river to cross.
So while we were taking fire, we also got completely soaked. And yet we still managed to capture a Taliban leader. How?
Because each of us knew that the others would always go that extra mile. Because we trusted each other as a team, we were able to complete the mission even in the worst conditions.
And that’s how I view our situation right now. For a long time there was no real movement, but the green light has been given — and it will happen, one way or another.
Of course we’ll hit obstacles along the way. We may be dropped off at the wrong starting point, we may have to take some fire, and we may have to cross a freezing river. All true. But the mission is sacred — and once we’ve started, we won’t stop until it’s done.
Right now, we’re going for it. We’re being the partner you can trust, the partner that goes the extra mile, the partner that cuts through procedures. But we expect the same from you.
We need you to go that extra mile too — for example by being a little less risk-averse.
Just before the NSDIF, I received the ‘Military Use of Space’ proposal from several leading players in the Dutch space sector.
A concrete plan to jointly develop, launch and keep improving high-end satellite systems, so we don’t end up blind and deaf to threats because of missing capabilities. This is exactly how I imagine our new way of working together.
The industry responded fast to the call I made during a pre-event of the NATO summit. After that, our own procedures moved smoothly and we gave the green light. This is how we combine funding, expertise and resources to deliver quick, effective answers to a real and immediate threat
Today I want to set things in motion again, with not one but 2 challenges. Two areas where the need is huge.
The first challenge: an alternative to the Tomahawk. What we need is deep precision strike capability with a 100-kilo warhead. A missile we can drop on a target 1,000 kilometres away with a maximum deviation of 3 metres.
And the second: the ability to print the ‘nuts and bolts’ components of several major weapon systems, such as the Leopard tank.
Not just at the base, but in the field during a battle – and by 2026.
Everything breaks down in wartime. It’s not the one with the most tanks who wins; it’s the one who can repair them the fastest.
The United States did not win the naval war against Japan in the Pacific in WWII because its ships were better. Its victory was partly due to its special repair teams that could fix battle damage during combat, keeping its ships operational.
So my question is: who can help us reach that kind of resilience? I know the knowledge, the technology and the innovative power here in the Netherlands. We can apply those to both challenges. We really stand out in several areas.
I saw it again recently at the Purple Nectar innovation conference. And just last month I was out at sea in a 3D-printed boat — not a symbolic prototype, but a fully-fledged, robust special forces craft.
If we can build game-changers like that, everyone benefits. We, as the Ministry of Defence, do, of course — but as private companies, you can also take those game-changers abroad. I regularly visit my German counterpart, for example.
If we can deliver capabilities like these — and I know our partners are interested — I’ll do everything I can to put our capabilities on the map internationally.
In that way, we won’t only be taking big steps on the battlefield and in deterrence, but also commercially and strategically.
I know it’s impossible and unnecessary for a small country to be fully autonomous. But if you can master certain key capabilities, you become strategically relevant — militarily and commercially. And that increases your autonomy and makes others want to work with you.
I’m keen to continue our conversation about making our shared mission a success.
And I’m very curious to hear what you’re working on, what challenges you’re facing, and where we might be able to help.
Thank you!