Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands

08/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/19/2026 01:23

A look at the Defence news 10 - 16 August

News item19-08-2026 | 09:02

Last Saturday, 2 Dutch Chinook transport helicopters supported the local fire brigade in the Belgian Province of Liège in fighting a wildfire.

Enlarge image Een Chinook-helikopter laat water vallen op de bosbrand op de Hoge Venen

The support came at the request of the Belgian authorities.

Netherlands leads task force with international partners at Panama Canal

HNLMS Groningen recently participated in the 2-week international exercise Panamax 2026 in the Caribbean. The protection of the adjoining Panama Canal was the main focus of the exercise, which ended on 13 August. The navy vessel was in charge of Task Force Carib, which consisted of a Colombian frigate and patrol vessels from Panama and the Dominican Republic. In addition to the Netherlands, 18 other countries participated in Panamax.

Victims of the Japanese occupation during the Second World War honoured

Last Saturday, a ceremony was held at the Dutch East Indies monument in The Hague to commemorate the capitulation of Japan. For the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945 brought a definitive end to the Second World War. The ceremony honoured all civilian and military victims of the Japanese occupation.

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