Netherlands wants to double army personnel, NOS reports

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via Dutch Army Special Operations Forces website

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands wants to increase its army personnel from 74,000 to 200,000, with a special focus on enlarging the reservist capacity, Dutch public broadcaster NOS said, citing sources close to the matter.

The NOS report did not provide a timeline.

Government data of the Netherlands, a NATO alliance member, shows that the Dutch army currently consists of 42,305 professional soldiers, 24,212 staff and 7,483 reservists.

The Dutch Defence ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

Fears about Russia and doubts about the future of U.S. protection are driving European nations to rethink their defence policies. On Wednesday, an EU blueprint said Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms.

Another NATO nation, Poland, wants to offer military training to 100,000 volunteers by 2027.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

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