Joint Ground-based Air Defence Command

Last updated
Joint Ground-based Air Defence Command
Defensie Grondgebonden Luchtverdedigingscommando (DGLC)
Defensie Grondgebonden Luchtverdedigings Commando embleem.svg
Emblem of the DGLC
Founded29 March 2012
CountryFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Branch Royal Netherlands Army
Type Air defence
Sizec. 850 personnel
Part ofUnder command of the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
Garrison/HQ Lieutenant General Best Barracks in Venray
Motto(s)Verenigd op de grond, daadkrachtig in de lucht ("United on the ground, decisive in the air")
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Jos Kuijpers [1]

The Joint Ground-based Air Defence Command (Dutch: Defensie Grondgebonden Luchtverdedigingscommando, DGLC) is a joint command of the Royal Netherlands Army, formed in 2012 after amalgamation of the Commando Luchtdoelartillerie (Anti-aircraft Artillery Command) of the Royal Netherlands Army and the Groep Geleide Wapens (Group Guided Weapons) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The command is responsible for all ground-based air defence tasks and consists of both army and air force personnel. [2] The DGLC employs an integrated layered air-defence approach featuring FIM-92 Stinger, NASAMS II and MIM-104 Patriot systems.

Contents

Units

800 Support Squadron

The 800 Support Squadron (Dutch: 800 Ondersteuningssquadron) consists of a staff and three flights. The CIS flight is responsible for data and voice communication between the operational units. The logistic flight provides supply and transport services. The force protection flight guards and protects the operational units. and is responsible for the education and training of personnel, and the maintenance of materiel. [3]

802 Patriot Squadron

DGLC showcasing some of their systems, 2017. DGLC systemen.jpg
DGLC showcasing some of their systems, 2017.

802 Patriot Squadron is responsible for the deployment of the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system. The squadron consists of a staff and six flights: a logistic flight, a command and control flight, and four Patriot flights each consisting of a complete fire unit. The fourth Flight was activated on July 1st 2024 [3]

11 Air Defence Battery

The 11 Air Defence Battery (Dutch: 11 Luchtverdedigingsbatterij) was activated on June 1st 2023. The battery comprises a staff, a Counter-UAS platoon and a Stinger platoon. [3]

12 Air Defence Battery

The 12 Air Defence Battery (Dutch: 12 Luchtverdedigingsbatterij) was activated on July 1st 2024 and will be equipped and structured identically to the 13th Air Defense Battery

13 Air Defence Battery 'Ypenburg'

The 13 Air Defence Battery 'Ypenburg' (Dutch: 13 Luchtverdedigingsbatterij 'Ypenburg') consists of the AGBADS, UDIS and Stinger units. As such, the battery is responsible for short to medium range air defence. The battery comprises a staff, a signals group and four operational flights. [3]

The battery has been fielding the name Ypenburg since 1999. This name symbolises the relationship with the 13 Air Defence Artillery Battery (Dutch: 13 Batterij Luchtdoelartillerie) which was tasked with the defence of the Dutch government, just north of Ypenburg Airport during the Battle for The Hague.

AGBADS

The Army Ground-Based Air Defence System (AGBADS) comprises two flights: [3]

C-RAM

The Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) flight is responsible for detecting rockets, artillery, mortars and drones using the UDIS sensor system.

Logistic

The Logistic flight is responsible for maintenance, supply and recovery of the units within the battery.

Air Defence Missile Group 61

The Air Defence Missile Group 61 (German: Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61) is an air defence battalion of the German Air Force, consisting of approximately 300 personnel. [3] The battery has been placed under Dutch command since 4 April 2018, and is fully integrated into the DGLC. [5] The group operates radar-guided cannon and rocket SHORAD systems, and is based in Todendorf in Germany. [6] Group 61 consists of a Mantis squadron, a LeFlaSys Squadron, a support squadron and a training squadron.

Education and Training Centre

The Education and Training Centre (Dutch: Opleidings- en Trainingscentrum) provides all air defence training, driving instruction and international training support. [3] The centre operates a wide variety of advanced weapon simulators.

Ground-based Air Defence Research Centre

The Research Centre (Dutch: Kenniscentrum Grondgebonden Luchtverdediging) is responsible for obtaining, safeguarding and sharing knowledge concerning air and missile defence. [3] This knowledge is used to shape the structure of the DGLC. In addition, the centre provides technical and tactical documentation and procedures, and supports and advices the Defence Materiel Organisation with the acquisition of new systems and materiel.

Equipment

MIM-104 Patriot

Patriot launcher during Operation Active Fence deployment in Turkey. Operatie-active-fence-Het-lanceerstation-van-de-Nederlandse-Patriot-in-Turkije.jpg
Patriot launcher during Operation Active Fence deployment in Turkey.

The MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system combats targets in the medium to long range, up to 60 kilometers. Each system covers a sector of 120 degrees against both manned and unmanned aircraft, helicopter, ballistic and cruise missiles. The DGLC operates three Patriot batteries, with another complete system in reserve. Both PAC-2 and PAC-3, which is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, missiles are in use. All Dutch systems are undergoing thorough modernisation since 2019. [7]

AGBADS

The Army Ground-based Air Defence System (AGBADS) integrates the NASAMS 2 medium-range, with AMRAAM missiles, and FIM-92 Stinger short-range air defence systems. In addition, AGBADS utilises 2 types of radars. The NASAMS platoon operates the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar, which is supplemented by the Telefunken Radar Mobil Luftraumüberwachung (TRML) radar system. The images of the radar systems are combined in a local air picture (LAP), which is accessible to the entire unit. [8]

The DGLC has two NASAMS systems, a system consists of:

Moreover, AGBADS incorporates SHORAD provided by the FIM-92 Stinger. [9] The DGLC operates 18 Fennek Stinger Weapon Platforms (SWP). The Fennek SWP is an armoured vehicle with a fully integrated Stinger Launching System (SLS). The SLS contains four ready-to-fire Stinger missiles that can be launched from two launchers, and can be operated from within the (relative) safety of the armoured vehicle. The SLS is built on a Pedestal Mounted Air Defence System (PMADS), produced by the Turkish company ASELSAN. [10] Moreover, the DGLC recently reactivated a platoon operating shoulder-launched Stinger MANPADS. [11]

Mantis

Nächstbereichschutzsystem MANTIS is a air defence system consisting of 35mm cannons and radar systems. [12] It is operated by Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61 and usually deployed for force protection, in a C-RAM role. [2]

LeFlaSys

The Wiesel 2 Leichtes Flugabwehrsystem (LeFlaSys, Light Air Defence System) is an air defence system mounted on the highly mobile Wiesel 2 tankette. The Ozelot variant is equipped with two ready-to-fire Stinger missiles, and is operated by Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61. [13] [2]

LÜR

The LÜR (Luftraumüberwachungs Radar) is a mobile radar system which provides the MANTIS and LeFlaSys systems of Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61 with a low to medium altitude air picture. [2]

UDIS

UDIS is an experimental sensor system that is designed with the goal to detect, identify and follow drones. It consists of compact SQUIRE (Signaal Quiet Universal Intruder Recognition Equipment) man-portable ground surveillance radar, produced by Thales Nederland, and the Ranger camera system. [2]

Multi Mission Radar

The DGLC operates three GM200 Multi Mission Radar (MMR) systems, produced by Thales Nederland. The MMR is the latest radar of the 4D ASEA family, related to the SMART-L radar in use with the Royal Netherlands Navy and various other navies. The MMR provided a detection capability for unmanned aerial systems, aircraft and missiles. The MMR is a mobile system that can be transported on the bed of a truck. [14]

Deployments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIM-104 Patriot</span> American surface-to-air missile system

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target," which is a backronym for "Patriot". In 1984, the Patriot system began to replace the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary high to medium air defense (HIMAD) system and the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defense system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given a function in the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. As of 2016, the system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IRIS-T</span> Medium-range infrared homing missile

The IRIS-T is a medium range infrared homing missile available in air-to-air and surface-to-air variants. It also is called AIM-2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Netherlands armed forces

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army, which was founded in 1913. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, active from 1979 until 2019, was the Solo Display Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the German military

The German Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Germany. After the reunification of West and East Germany in 1990, it integrated parts of the air force of the former German Democratic Republic, which itself had been founded in 1956 as part of the National People's Army. There is no organizational continuity between the current German Air Force and the former Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht founded in 1935, which was completely disbanded in 1945/46 after World War II. The term Luftwaffe that is used for both the historic and the current German air force is the German-language generic designation of any air force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Army</span> Land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the Staatse Leger was raised making the Dutch standing army one of the oldest in the world. It fought in the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence and the Korean War, as well as served with NATO on the Cold War frontiers in West Germany from the 1950s to the 1990s.

The Royal Netherlands Army Artillery provides artillery support for the Royal Netherlands Army. It is divided into three corps, undertaking two roles: Korps Veldartillerie - Field Artillery and Korps Rijdende Artillerie - Horse Artillery. These two corps undertake the field artillery role. They are equipped primarily with the PzH2000 and were equipped with the M109 howitzer. Until 2013, one regiment retained the traditions of the Veldartillerie and one of the Rijdende Artillerie, with one assigned to each of the army's mechanised brigades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASAMS</span> Norwegian surface-to-air missile system

NASAMS is a distributed and networked short- to medium-range ground-based air defense system developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) and Raytheon. The system defends against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, cruise missiles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), and fixed wing aircraft, firing any of a wide range of existing missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of Hungarys military

The Hungarian Air Force, is the air force branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fennek</span> German scout car

The Fennek, named after the fennec, or LGS Fennek, with LGS being short for Leichter Gepanzerter Spähwagen in German, is a four-wheeled armed reconnaissance vehicle produced by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Dutch Defence Vehicle Systems. The Turkish company FNSS Defence Systems acquired the right for licence production in 2004. It was developed for both the German Army and Royal Netherlands Army to replace their current vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short range air defense</span> Anti-air weapons against low-flying targets

Short range air defense (SHORAD) is a group of anti-aircraft weapons and tactics that have to do with defense against low-altitude air threats, primarily helicopters and low-flying aircraft such as the A-10 or Sukhoi Su-25. SHORAD and its complements, HIMAD and THAAD divide air defense of the battlespace into domes of responsibility based on altitude and defensive weapon ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slovak Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of Slovakias military

The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 15 aircraft and 18 helicopters from three air bases : Malacky–Kuchyňa, Sliač, Prešov. It succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Czech Air Force in 1993. The Slovak Air Force is part of NATO Integrated Air Defense System – NATINADS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant General Best Barracks</span> Airport in Venray

Lieutenant General Best Barracks, formerly De Peel Air Base, is a Royal Netherlands Army guided missile base in the Netherlands. It has only one, though not actively used, runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1</span> Military unit

Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1 "Schleswig-Holstein" or is a unit of the German Air Force based in Stadum and Husum, Northern Germany. The wing is equipped with the Patriot air defense missile system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force</span> Former NATO military aviation formation

Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in the southern portion of West Germany. 4 ATAF commanded all flying units based within its sector and all reinforcements flying into its sector, as well as ground-based radar systems and stations, air defense units and the airfields in its sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">120 Squadron SAAF</span> Military unit

120 Squadron SAAF was a South African Air Force squadron formed in 1970 to operate the South African/French Cactus surface-to-air missile systems in an air defence role. The unit was disbanded when the Cactus system was retired from service in the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TRML</span> Air defense radar system

The TRML is a family of air defense radars first developed by Telefunken and currently produced by Hensoldt. It is a development of the earlier TRMS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Royal Netherlands Army</span>

The current structure of the Royal Netherlands Army is as follows:

The following is a hierarchical outline of the Czechoslovak People's Army at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the Czechoslovak People's Army structure was as follows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Support Command Land</span> Military unit

The Operational Support Command Land is a support command of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command consists of multiple combat support and combat service support units that provide the army with a broad variety of services. The OOCL was established in 2009, with the simultaneous disbandment of 1 Logistics Brigade and 101 Combat Support Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint ISTAR Command</span> Military unit

The Joint ISTAR Command is a joint military intelligence command of the Operational Support Command Land of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command is specialised in the gathering, analysis and distribution of military intelligence, and consists of eight operational company-sized subunits.

References

  1. de Koning, Ad (27 February 2020). "Jos Kuijpers nieuwe man op DGLC Vredepeel". Eindhovens Dagblad. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Defensie Grondgebonden Luchtverdedigingscommando". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Eenheden Defensie Grondgebonden Luchtverdedigingscommando". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  4. "TRML-3D/32 - Mobile Air Surveillance and Defence Radar | HENSOLDT".
  5. "Duitse luchtverdedigingseenheid onder Nederlands bevel". Ministry of Defence. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  6. "Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61". bundeswehr.de. Bundeswehr. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. "Patriot-luchtverdedigingssysteem". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  8. "Army Ground Based Air Defence System". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  9. "Stinger-luchtdoelraket". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  10. "Aselsan Signed the Contract with the Royal Netherlands Army". defense-aerospace.com. Defense-Aerospace. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. "Nieuw Stingerpeloton beschermt tegen dreiging van boven". Ministry of Defence. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. "Das Flugabwehrsystem MANTIS". bundeswehr.de. Bundeswehr. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. "Das Leichte Flugabwehrsystem mit Waffenträger Ozelot". bundeswehr.de. Bundeswehr. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. Brouwer, Evert (19 February 2019). "Nieuwe radar voor veilige toekomst: DMO tekent contract voor 9 systemen". Materieelgezien. 01. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  15. "Operatie Active Fence (Patriot-missie Turkije)". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  16. de Ridder, Marlous; Imandt, Thijs (4 April 2014). "Terugblik nucleaire top". Landmacht. 04. Retrieved 14 March 2021.