Fire Support Command

Fire Support Command
Vuursteun Commando (VustCo)
Emblem of the VustCo
Founded25 January 2013
Country Netherlands
Branch Royal Netherlands Army
TypeArtillery
Sizec. 500 active personnel
Part ofOperational Support Command Land
Garrison/HQArtillerie Schietkamp in 't Harde
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Michel Roelen

The Fire Support Command (Dutch: Vuursteun Commando, VustCo) is the artillery arm of the Royal Netherlands Army.[1] The command consists of 41 Artillery Battalion, a staff, the Fire Support School and the artillery training grounds and is part of the Operational Support Command Land.

The command was established on 25 January 2013 through amalgamation of the 14 Field Artillery Battalion (Dutch: 14e Afdeling Veldartillerie) and the 11 Horse Artillery Battalion (Dutch: 11 Afdeling Rijdende Artillerie).

Structure

With the establishment of 41 Artillery Battalion (Dutch: 41 Afdeling Artillerie) on 18 January 2019, the Royal Netherlands Army has returned to field an independent artillery unit. The battalion staff has since been responsible for planning and operational management of the fire support batteries, a task which used to be the responsibility of the staff of the Fire Support Command. The staff will, however, maintain responsibility over the management of the Fire Support School and the artillery training grounds.[2] Personnel of the command is divided over two corps, the Korps Veldartillerie (Field Artillery Corps) and the Korps Rijdende Artillerie (Horse Artillery Corps), the latter also known as the Gele Rijders (Yellow Riders) due to their traditional uniforms with heavy yellow braiding. The corps serve a traditional purpose and are not indicative of the size of the respective units.

On 30 April 2021, the new Delta (D) Battery of the 41 Artillery Battalion was established as a result of investments into the land-based firepower. The battery has not yet reached full strength, hence the battery was called a "battery minus". Instead of nine Pantserhouwitsers per battery, the Delta Battery fields six.[3]

Units

The Fire Support Command consists of the following units:

  • Fire Support Command (Vuursteun Commando), in 't Harde[4][5]
    • Staff Fire Support Command (Staf Vuursteun Commando)
      • 11 Horse Artillery Battalion (11 Afdeling Rijdende Artillerie; being formed; will join the 43 Mechanised Brigade in 2025)[5]
      • 41 Field Artillery Battalion (41 Afdeling Veldartillerie; will join the 13 Light Brigade in 2025)[5]
        • Headquarters Battery (Stafbatterij)
        • A and B Battery, each with 9× Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers
        • C Battery, with 16× MO-120-RT towed mortars (being re-equipped with 9× Panzerhaubitze 2000 and will join 11 Horse Artillery Battalion in 2025; MO-120-RT mortars will be transferred to 11 Air Assault Brigade)[5]
        • D Battery, with 6× Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers (will receive 3× additional Panzerhaubitze 2000 and join 11 Horse Artillery Battalion in 2025)[5]
    • Artillery Training Grounds (Artillerie Schietkamp)
    • Fire Support School (Vuursteunschool)

Additionally, the command is responsible for the:

  • Joint Fires Cells: The Joint Fires Cells (JFCs) coordinate the (simultaneous) requests for, and integration of ground-, air-, and seabased air support. The JFC conduct their operations from command centres, attached to the combat units of the brigades (11 Air Assault Brigade, 13 Light Brigade and 43 Mechanised Brigade), the Korps Commandotroepen and the Netherlands Marine Corps.
  • Fire Support Teams: The Fire Support Teams (FSTs) consists of squads in the field, which maintain contact with artillery, air and naval assets in order to guide fire support to the targets.
  • Gele Rijders (Yellow Riders) during the annual gun salute firing ceremony on Prinsjesdag
    Gele Rijders (Yellow Riders) during the annual gun salute firing ceremony on Prinsjesdag
  • Mortarmen with MO-120 mortars during a joint training with the Defence Helicopter Command, in 2019
    Mortarmen with MO-120 mortars during a joint training with the Defence Helicopter Command, in 2019
  • A Dutch howitzer firing in Afghanistan in 2009, as part of Task Force Uruzgan
    A Dutch howitzer firing in Afghanistan in 2009, as part of Task Force Uruzgan
  • Pzh2000NL of A Battery during exercise Vigilant Wolf in 2020, as part of NATO Enhanced Forward Presence
    Pzh2000NL of A Battery during exercise Vigilant Wolf in 2020, as part of NATO Enhanced Forward Presence

Equipment

Name Origin Type Number Photo Notes
Rocket artillery
PULS  Israel Multiple rocket launcher 2[6] 20 ordered in 2023.[7][8] In February 2024 the first PULS multiple rocket launcher arrived in the Netherlands.[9]
Self-propelled howitzers
Pantserhouwitser 2000NL  Germany Self-propelled howitzer 35 (49) Capable of firing 155mm Excalibur precision-guided munition since 2018.[10] Mid-life update due between 2026 and 2028.[11]
Mortars
MO-120-RT  France 120 mm mortar 16 (22) 16 mortars operational, due for replacement in 2023 by 20 new 120 mm mortars and four loitering munition launchers.[12]
Armoured fighting vehicles
Boxer  Germany Armoured fighting vehicle 8 Command Post variant in use for command and control.
Radars
Thales Multi Mission Radar  Netherlands Mobile radar 6 In use as detection capacity for artillery support. Capable of detecting and tracking incoming missiles, artillery and unmanned aerial systems.[13] Produced by Thales Nederland.

References

  1. ^ "Vuursteun Commando". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. ^ den Hartog, Robert (3 September 2019). "VustCo voorwaarts: 'Duidelijkheid voor iedereen'". Landmacht (in Dutch). No. 7.
  3. ^ "Extra vuurkracht voor artillerie met oog op toenemende dreiging". Ministerie van Defensie. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Vuursteun Commando". Royal Netherlands Army. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Versterking vuursteun krijgt vorm". Netherlands Army. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Dutch Army receive first PULS rocket launcher systems from Elbit Systems". Army Recognition. 21 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Defensie versterkt vuurkracht met raketartillerie en langeafstandswapens" [Army strengthens firepower with rocket artillery and long range weapons] (Press release) (in Dutch). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Kamerbrief over D-fase project Raketartillerie" [House of Representatives letter about D-phase project Rocket artillery] (Press release) (in Dutch). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  9. ^ Nicholas Fiorenza (19 February 2024). "First PULS MRL arrives in Netherlands". Janes.
  10. ^ Ministerie van Defensie (September 2019). "155mm Precision Guided Munition voor de PzH2000 - Rapportage Defensie Projectenoverzicht 2019, pagina 45 en 50". www.defensie.nl. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ^ Ministerie van Defensie (17 December 2020). "Verjongingskuur Pantserhouwitser wordt Duits-Nederlands project". Ministerie van Defensie.
  12. ^ State Secretary Barbara Visser (17 December 2020). "Kamerbrief over de behoeftestelling Licht Indirect Vurend Systeem (LIVS)". Rijksoverheid. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. ^ Brouwer, Evert (19 February 2019). "Nieuwe radar voor veilige toekomst: DMO tekent contract voor 9 systemen". Materieelgezien. Vol. 1.