Netherlands plans anti-ship missile capability for Caribbean

The Netherlands plans to add anti-ship missiles to its military capability in the Caribbean, Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz said in written responses to questions from the Dutch House of Representatives on the 2026 Defence Memorandum, Together Forward.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the capability is tied to plans for a permanently stationed Royal Netherlands Marine Corps company in Curaçao. The company would replace a rotating Royal Netherlands Army company that has operated there since 2009. The Netherlands already has Marine Corps personnel in Aruba and Sint Maarten, the ministry said.

The planned expansion also includes an air-warning radar system, counter-unmanned aerial system technology and additional flight hours for the Caribbean Coast Guard's DASH-8 reconnaissance aircraft, according to the ministry. The ministry said the investments respond to what it described as a seriously deteriorating international security environment.

The Caribbean Coast Guard is separately expected to gain almost 80 full-time positions over the coming years. Its equipment plan includes replacement of larger patrol vessels, renewal of smaller vessels and shore-based detection capability for the Windward Islands, including Sint Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius.

The ministry also cited cooperation with the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada through the Framework for Western Hemisphere Allied Collaboration. Yeşilgöz said the arrangement uses existing military resources for joint planning, consultations and exercises rather than creating a new organisation or separate operational capacity.