Over 5,000 military service personnel and defence ministry civil servants are facing compulsory redundancies as the government decides on Friday where to make savings of €1bn in its defence budget.

The job losses will affect all ranks in the defence ministry, according to government sources quoted in the Volkskrant.
Defence minister Hans Hillen also plans to scrap tanks and Cougar helicopters, to cut the 87 F-16 fighter jets by around a third and to sell off a number of naval vessels.
The controversial purchase of a second JSF fighter jet for €100m will, however, go ahead to protect the participation of Dutch firms in its development and production, says the Volkskrant.