THE HAGUE, October 8. /TASS/. Dutch authorities plan to create the Netherlands’ first permanent testing range for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the North Sea, the country’s Defense Ministry announced.

The range will allow drone test flights beyond the operator's line of sight. According to Acting State Secretary for Defense, Gijs Tuinman, the Netherlands intends to make the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry "a decisive element in ensuring the country's security" and develop technologies for future drone deliveries to Kiev.

The range will be located over the North Sea from the coast of Katwijk to the port of Rotterdam. The Unmanned Valley technology center will be used for takeoffs and landings, and the area itself will be granted special status within the country's airspace.

The Defense Ministry intends to allocate 100,000 euros for these purposes. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the provincial government of South Holland will also participate in the project.

The first test flights in the North Sea air corridor are scheduled for the end of 2026. The results obtained will form the basis for national regulation of drone flights, which, according to the government, will place the Netherlands among European leaders in this area.

In the spring of 2025, the EU took steps toward large-scale militarization.

In March, at an emergency summit in Brussels, the ambitious 800 bln euros ReArm EU rearmament plan was approved, providing for joint arms procurement and the use of funds from the program for depressed regions. The EU Council later approved the creation of a 150 billion euros militarization fund (SAFE) as part of a long-term military development program until 2030. At the June NATO summit in The Hague, a decision was made to increase European states' military spending to 5% of GDP by 2034.