Drone test area over the North Sea: the Netherlands creates airspace for BVLOS flights

Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman is planning a new, permanent drone test area over the North Sea. It is intended to advance and better explore the now very diverse uses of drones – today drones carry medicines or organs from hospital to hospital, monitor dykes, bridges and wind turbines, support disaster relief and rescue operations, and also serve military purposes.

This area is the first of its kind. Tuinman gave the starting signal by signing a cooperation agreement at the Unmanned Valley drone test centre, located on the former Valkenburg naval air station. Co-signatories were Robert Tieman, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the South Holland representatives Meindert Stolk and Arne Weverling. The Ministry of Defence is contributing its expertise and also making a one-off investment of 100,000 euros in the test area.

The special airspace is being set up off the coast between Katwijk and the Port of Rotterdam; drones take off and land at Unmanned Valley. The area is intended for flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) – meaning drones may also operate where the pilot can no longer see them.

BVLOS makes it possible to cover longer distances and carry out tasks that today are often still too dangerous, too time-consuming or too expensive. A Ministry of Defence press release states: “This technology will make society safer, more sustainable and more efficient.”

Tuinman stressed how important unmanned systems are for the armed forces, as well as their significance for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia: “Drones have become indispensable for our security. But they are even more important for Ukrainian soldiers. They are currently fighting for our freedom from muddy trenches and under anti-drone nets. They may receive these new and better drones only a few hours earlier. And so every additional step here literally makes the difference between life and death there.”

Why the drone test area is in South Holland

The province of South Holland was chosen because a strong aerospace sector with many companies and knowledge institutions works on innovative technologies there. Several organisations are involved in the development, including MovingDot, AirHub, To70 and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR).

For representative Stolk, the project brings together economy, innovation and defence: “It strengthens our position as a pioneer in aviation technology and offers new opportunities for employment and knowledge development.”

The first test flights are expected to take place at the end of 2026. Based on the experience gained, national regulations for BVLOS flights are then to be drawn up. The Netherlands is thus moving into the ranks of Europe's pioneers in the drone sector.