The Dutch Ministry of Defence has launched the Counter Strike Drone Challenge, a direct call to industry for innovative solutions to detect, identify, and disable enemy drones. The initiative moves beyond simply acquiring new hardware, focusing instead on integrated solutions that deliver a clear operational advantage: the rapid neutralization of drones, even when operating in hostile territory.
“This means they’re not about a single product, but rather solutions that actually work in practice,” the Ministry stated, emphasizing the need for practical, deployable systems. The challenge aims to fast-track the identification and deployment of existing technologies in the market.
To foster genuine innovation, the Ministry is offering long-term collaboration and development partnerships to companies with promising solutions. This approach ensures that the selected technologies can be refined in close cooperation with end-users to meet the specific demands of modern combat.
The challenge is organized in partnership with Defport, a public-private platform that brings together government bodies, industry, financial institutions, and knowledge institutes. This ecosystem is designed to accelerate the development and financing of cutting-edge defence technology.
To further strengthen this collaborative network, the Ministry is also launching several supporting initiatives. These include the opening of ‘Mindbases’—dedicated spaces for defence officials and businesses to meet—and a new partnership agreement with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl). These steps are intended to streamline the process for companies to engage and collaborate with the Dutch defence sector.
