The Netherlands has sent its first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and allocated €400M for drone development.

The Netherlands will allocate €400M to develop drones for Ukraine, and if the program is successful, they are ready to increase funding, the country’s Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said. The drone action plan will combine Ukrainian innovation and Dutch expertise to improve technologies used on the battlefield.

“We will focus on different types of drones, both reconnaissance and defensive, as well as offensive, because we see that Ukraine needs these offensive drones to strike military targets,” Brekelmans said.

He clarified that about half of the planned investment will be spent in the Netherlands, and the remaining funds will be distributed between Ukraine and other countries.

The minister added that the Netherlands delivered the country’s first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and promised to deliver the remaining aircraft in the coming months.

As well, government officials from Ukraine and the Netherlands discussed industrial partnerships in the defense industry and determined the focus of cooperation for the next year, particularly the development of UAV production.