The Netherlands is moving to reduce its dependence on non-European sources for the high-performance fibres used in military body armor, helmets, vehicles and aircraft, following controversy over a proposed procurement involving Chinese ballistic materials.
In a September 22 announcement, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said it is strengthening its control over the supply of so-called super-fibres and introducing measures to protect Dutch and European production. The ministry says the move is intended to guarantee the future availability of these materials and reduce strategic dependence on countries such as China.
Dutch State Secretary for Defence Derk Boswijk has called for a fundamental change in procurement policy, arguing that speed and cost can no longer be the primary considerations when purchasing strategically important defence materials.
The announcement follows a dispute earlier this year over the Dutch military’s sourcing of ballistic fibres, which brought European industrial capacity and supply-chain security into sharper focus.
Industry Raises Concerns Over Chinese Supply
In July, reports emerged that the Netherlands was considering additional fragmentation vests supplied by Israeli defence company Elbit using Chinese ballistic fibres.
The proposal triggered criticism from the Dutch and wider European defence industry, particularly because the Netherlands is already home to major producers of high-performance ballistic materials.
Critics argued that purchasing Chinese ballistic fibres through a foreign supplier could deprive European manufacturers of important contracts while undermining the long-term resilience of the continent’s defence supply chain.
The dispute also raised possible intellectual-property concerns involving Dutch fibre producer Avient Protective Materials.
BodyArmorNews.com reported at the time that the controversy was particularly significant because of the Netherlands’ established position in the European high-performance fibre market.
Avient Protective Materials, producer of Dyneema, and Teijin Aramid together account for a substantial share of European super-fibre production.
Dyneema is an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. Its combination of low weight and ballistic performance has made it a widely used material in high-performance personal protection systems.
The procurement question therefore concerned more than a single body-armor contract. It raised broader questions about whether European governments should continue sourcing critical defence materials outside Europe when domestic production capabilities are already available.
Dutch Defence Rejects Chinese-Fibre Proposal
The Dutch Defence Ministry has since clarified its position.
According to Defence, the proposal to use Chinese super-fibres in new ballistic plates was rejected. No final decision has been made to purchase additional fragmentation vests, and the ministry is awaiting a revised proposal from Elbit.
The Israeli defence company has been asked to propose Dutch or European ballistic fibres instead of Chinese materials.
The fragmentation vests currently issued to Dutch military personnel already contain Dutch super-fibres, and Defence has stated that its preference for future procurements is to use Dutch or European materials.
The change has been welcomed by representatives of the domestic defence industry.
Hans Huigen, director of the Dutch Industry for Defence and Security, had previously criticised the prospect of purchasing foreign ballistic vests containing Chinese fibres.
Responding to the government’s revised approach, Huigen told De Telegraaf that the announcement offers greater certainty to Dutch defence manufacturers.
“This is more than just policy language and also offers certainty for Dutch defence companies. So it’s good that this is happening,” Huigen said.
Super-Fibres Go Beyond Body Armor
The government’s position on ballistic fibres forms part of a wider strategy to secure critical materials used in military equipment.
Super-fibres are used in ballistic protection systems, including fragmentation vests, ballistic plates and helmets, because they can provide high strength and effective protection at relatively low weight.
Their applications extend beyond personal protection. High-performance fibres are also used in military vehicles and aircraft, where reducing weight can improve range, payload capacity and fuel efficiency.
The Dutch Defence Ministry therefore considers the continued availability of these materials a strategic requirement rather than simply an industrial-policy issue.
Boswijk has warned that Europe risks losing access to essential manufacturing capabilities if governments fail to protect industries that produce strategically important materials.
“This is particularly important for capabilities that are scarce in Europe and are essential for producing military equipment,” Boswijk said, according to De Telegraaf.
He warned that becoming completely dependent on third countries for these supplies is a realistic scenario if authorities do not take action.
European Origin Requirements Planned
To strengthen the supply chain, Defence says it has formulated European origin requirements for ballistic fibres used in military products and is working to implement them in procurement procedures and, where possible, existing contracts.
The aim is to give preference to Dutch and European suppliers and production facilities, thereby reducing the risk of dependence on foreign exports during periods of geopolitical instability.
Exceptions could apply where legal obstacles prevent European sourcing or where suppliers exploit the policy by imposing unjustified price increases.
The Ministry of Defence will also work with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to develop security guidelines for imported defence components and semi-finished products.
These guidelines will address critical raw materials and components used in high-technology military systems, including radar equipment, ballistic plates and protective vests.
The initiative reflects a broader shift in how the Dutch government evaluates defence procurement.
Previously, purchasing decisions were often driven by cost and delivery speed. Boswijk argues that the current geopolitical environment requires greater emphasis on security of supply and strategic independence.
“Before, it had to be done fast and cheap. However, with the current situation in the world, it is extremely important to reduce foreign dependency and to actually act on the change,” he said.
Investment in Advanced Materials
The Netherlands is taking the approach further through its broader Action Agenda for Chemistry and Materials for Defence.
The programme is designed to improve the security of supply for critical components and semi-finished materials, with super-fibres identified as one of the priority areas.
Innovation is also part of the strategy.
Defence, the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth and ChemistryNL launched a €3.8 million innovation call in July to support public-private research and development in chemistry and advanced materials relevant to defence.
The initiative is intended to strengthen Dutch technological capabilities and encourage cooperation between defence authorities, research institutions and industrial manufacturers.
A separate study is examining how the Dutch super-fibre industry can be better protected and scaled up, with results expected in early 2027.
Together, these measures indicate that the government is looking beyond immediate procurement decisions toward maintaining the industrial capabilities needed to manufacture critical defence materials in Europe over the longer term.
A Supply-Chain Issue for European Body Armor
The policy shift reflects a broader change in the way European militaries are looking at body armor.
For years, procurement decisions could largely be evaluated through conventional criteria such as protection, weight, performance, availability and cost.
Increasingly, however, governments are also asking where the critical materials inside those systems are produced and whether those supplies would remain available during a prolonged geopolitical crisis.
That question is particularly relevant for ballistic protection.
A fragmentation vest may be assembled locally or supplied by a European or allied defence contractor, but the strategic dependency can sit much further down the supply chain, in the fibres used to manufacture its ballistic components.
The controversy involving Elbit highlighted that distinction. Although the proposed supplier was Israeli, the concern focused primarily on the Chinese origin of the ballistic fibres.
For Dutch manufacturers such as Avient Protective Materials and Teijin Aramid, the new sourcing requirements could provide greater certainty about future demand and reinforce the strategic importance of maintaining European production.
For military procurement authorities, however, the challenge will be to balance industrial security with competitive pricing, operational requirements and the need to deliver protective equipment on time.
From One Vest to Strategic Resilience
For the Netherlands, the current debate is therefore less about one vest and more about control of the materials beneath the armor.
The decision to reject Chinese ballistic fibres in the proposed Elbit procurement has become part of a wider reassessment of how the Dutch military sources critical defence materials.
By tightening European origin requirements, supporting domestic production, developing security guidelines for imported components and investing in advanced-material research, Dutch Defence is attempting to reduce vulnerabilities that could become critical during a future conflict.
The policy also sends a message to defence suppliers: the origin of ballistic materials is becoming an increasingly important factor in military procurement, alongside protection performance, weight and price.
For Europe’s body-armor industry, this could mark a significant shift toward treating ballistic fibres not merely as commercial materials, but as strategic assets whose production capacity must be maintained within Europe.
The ultimate objective is to ensure that the next generation of Dutch protective equipment is not only capable of protecting soldiers on the battlefield, but also supported by a supply chain that the Netherlands and Europe can rely on.
