A decade-long pact will turn a vast ex-car factory into a hub for drones, unmanned vehicles and batteries.

Defence manufacturing has begun at VDL’s former Nedcar site in Born, the Netherlands, with drones, unmanned tanks and battery systems entering production, the company and the Dutch Ministry of Defence confirmed. The ministry has leased 120,000 square metres of the vehicle plant to support the ramp-up.

The move is part of a collaboration between Defence and VDL lasting at least ten years, announced before the summer, aimed at rebuilding industrial capacity with an emphasis on innovation, industrialisation, speed and scale. Items being assembled include DeltaQuad drones, Milrem unmanned tanks and Tulip Tech batteries.

The Netherlands’ Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans called the project a significant step for military development and a boost to the economy, describing it as a new flagship for the defence industry. He said further contracts are expected in the coming months as production increases to support Ukraine and strengthen deterrence against Russia.

For VDL, the initiative breathes new life into the Born facility, which once produced passenger cars, while giving the Dutch armed forces and partners access to rapid, high-volume manufacturing. The scale of the leased footprint signals an ambition to expand output quickly as orders accumulate.

The site’s shift underscores the Netherlands’ bid to reinforce its defence industrial base amid heightened security concerns, with the Born plant positioned to add further programmes as agreements are signed in the months ahead.