Dutch troops protected by anti-missile nets
Tuesday 30 January 2007
Special fibre nets which can catch and immobilise anti-tank grenades are to be sent to Afghanistan to give Dutch troops extra protection against Taliban missiles. The so-called ‘constrictors’ have been developed by the Dutch research institute TNO.
The Volkskrant says the nets cost around €1,000 each and are being produced by a fishing net manufacturer in IJmuiden. The defence ministry has ordered 200.
The TNO has applied for a patent on the constrictor. TNO researcher Philip van Dongen told the paper: ‘The spin-off is enormous. There are millions of RPGs [grenades] and these nets can protect all sorts of objects such as buildings, ships and vehicles.’
They will be used in Afghanistan to protect Dutch observation posts. The Americans, British and Israelis are also looking for a similar form of anti-grenade system, Van Dongen added.
© DutchNews.nl
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