The Netherlands is planning to spend more than $40 million to expand a US Army weapons depot that is located in the country, according to a report from Stars and Stripes.
The depot, located in the Dutch city of Eygelshoven, was established in 2016. The Army has multiple depots across Europe where weapons and other military hardware are stored that can be accessed quickly for exercises or during a crisis.
According to the report, the Eygelshoven depot has 450,000 square feet of warehouse storage space and 50,000 square feet of paved storage for heavy vehicles. The depot holds about 7,000 pieces of US Army equipment, including 765 vehicles.
“The planned improvements are necessary due to the fact that the US wishes to expand and intensify its use of [the depot],” the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld visited the depot on Wednesday and said expanding it “not only contributes to bilateral relations between the US and the Netherlands, but also to trans-Atlantic and European security.”
According to US Army in Europe and Africa, by next year, the Army will have depots across Europe that will house “an Armored Brigade Combat Team’s-worth of equipment, as well as engineer, artillery, military police, logistical and medical capabilities.” Other US Army depots in Europe are located in Poland, Italy, Belgium, and Germany.
If the Netherlands can spend $40,000,000 on a US army weapons depot, it can spend more money on its own military so there would be no need for US bases nor membership in NATO.