Tri-Service

"Bang Bang" - Dutch Army Reduced To Yelling Gun Sounds

Instead of shooting, the Dutch Army have been shouting.

In what is an embarrassing state of affairs, the military has been saving on munitions by imitating the sound of rifle fire with shouting.

According to local media reports the NATO member has had to cancel a number of compulsory shooting drills due to a lack of bullets.

According to a confidential e-mail from the Defence Ministry, seen by Dutch broadcaster RTL, severe shortages of ammunition have been a persistent problem for the military.

The feeling of frustration has been growing among Army personnel.

"Even if you have no bullets, you have to train with your weapon," Jean Debie, chairman of the military union VBM, told RTL.

"That means, as a soldier, you say ‘Bang, Bang!’ This is obviously disastrous for the morale of the military. You do not want to do this to a professional."

In 2013, the Malian military also suffered from a shortage of ammunition:

The Defence Ministry has acknowledged the problem, according to RTL, saying that while it has "over 400 types of ammunition,” there are "sometimes tight inventories."

"There is not always sufficient ammunition available for exercises and training. The Defence Ministry understands that troops are not always happy with this. Once additional funding is available, the stockpiles will be replenished in 2015."

The Dutch government has raised its defence budget to €8 billion for this fiscal year, up from €7.6 billion in 2014. From 2015, the government has also pledged an annual increase in defence spending in real terms of €100 million. According to a report commissioned by the European Leadership Network (ELN), this is a "significant break" from their long-term budgetary policy.

"In fact, it is the first time for over a decade that Europe’s fifth-largest economy will spend more rather than less on defence," the report said.

According to Defence Ministry figures cited by Newsweek, defence spending now accounts for 1.15 percent of GDP.