Dutch Firm to Supply Universal Drone Control Software to Netherlands MoD

The Netherlands MoD is partnering with Intelic, a Dutch company that will supply software and build an environment to control a variety of drones under a Euro 30 million contract.

Central to the strategic partnership is software for the deployment of drones on the battlefield. The environment in which this takes place allows various types of unmanned aircraft to be controlled simultaneously. This is unique and is only applied in Ukraine, out of necessity, a Dutch MoD release said Saturday.

Under this approach, the software is built first, and only then does the hardware follow. This is important because developments follow one another rapidly in today's world. In fact, the software is potentially more important than the drones themselves.

"Ukraine teaches us that not only the hardware, but also the software is of great importance. Making different drone systems work together makes the fight easier." – Derk Boswijk, Minister for Arms Procurement and Personnel.

This approach is greatly informed by the Ukrainian frontline which is demonstrating the necessity of interoperable systems in enabling superior surveillance, supply chain management and defence. Intelic’s NEXUS drone control software has been used on the battlefield in Ukraine since 2025, allowing drone operators to respond rapidly to changing conditions.

An Intelic release said:

The Dutch MoD has signed a strategic partnership worth more than 30 million euros with Intelic to build the software foundation for its future unmanned systems ecosystem, making the Netherlands the first country in the world to formally invest in a Software-First approach to military interoperability.

The partnership builds on Intelic’s vision of software-defined interoperability. Earlier this year, the company launched Intelic BASE, a procurement platform connecting European drone manufacturers with Ministries of Defence, helping governments explore and identify unmanned systems that are already integrated with NEXUS across the European defence industrial base.

"Europe now has more than 700 drone manufacturers, and that number continues to grow. For defence organisations, the challenge is no longer access to technology, but ensuring those technologies can operate together. Military advantage increasingly depends on software that connects platforms rather than locking governments into individual systems. This partnership reflects a fundamental shift from platform-centric procurement to software-defined defence capabilities built around interoperability." – Maurits Korthals Altes, CEO of Intelic