The soldiers were told that they would no longer be able to use live bullets because too much ammunition has been used on international missions. As a result, they have resorted to shouting "bang, bang!" when they shoot their weapons.
— RT UK (@RTUKnews) August 3, 2015
A leaked email from the country’s Defense Ministry to RTL Nieuws revealed that the ammunition shortage has created major problems, including the cancellation of multiple mandatory shooting drills.
The lack of bullets is also impacting the troops’ morale, according to Jean Debie, chairman of military union VBM.
"Even if you have no bullets, you have to train with your weapon. That means you have to call out 'bang-bang-bang.' That is, of course, disastrous for the morale of the military. You do not want to do this to a professional," Debie told De Standaard.
Dutch Major-General Harm de Jonge said the lack of ammunition has prevented soldiers from regularly practicing shooting and firing techniques, which in turn hampers their confidence, RTL Nieuws reported.
The Dutch defense ministry attributed the ammo shortage to "high consumption" and "long delivery times," adding that the soldiers would still be able to practice "as much as necessary," according to broadcasting company NOS.
Despite the ammunition dearth, a report from the European Leadership Network shows that the Dutch government has raised its defense budget to 8 billion euro for this fiscal year, up from 7.6 billion last year.
"In fact, it is the first time for over a decade that Europe’s fifth-largest economy will spend more rather than less on defense," the report said
