Dutch firm COBBS Industries BV is developing the Netherlands’ first purpose-built anti-drone net system for Royal Netherlands Army PzH 2000NL howitzers under a Ministry of Defence effort to harden artillery against small drones.
On November 24, 2025, Dutch defense contractor COBBS Industries BV announced that it is developing the Netherlands’ first dedicated anti-drone net system for the Ministry of Defence, designed specifically for the Royal Netherlands Army’s PzH 2000NL self-propelled howitzers. This initiative comes as artillery units worldwide confront an explosion in the use of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones that hunt high-value assets on the move and in firing positions. By moving from improvised “cope cages” to an engineered protective solution, The Hague is signalling that overhead drone protection is no longer an emergency field fix but a permanent requirement for modern artillery.
The COBBS anti-drone net for the PzH 2000NL marks a quiet but important shift: artillery is now being designed not only to outrange and outshoot the enemy, but also to survive in an airspace dominated by cheap, ubiquitous drones (Picture Source: Dutch MoD / COBBS Industries)
The system envisioned by COBBS Industries is based on a full-coverage cage or net architecture mounted around the silhouette of the PzH 2000NL. Instead of ad hoc welded frames and scrap metal, the design appears as a geometrically regular, multi-layered mesh structure forming a dome over the turret, with extended panels protecting the glacis, turret flanks and rear. This creates a standoff layer between the howitzer’s armor and incoming drones, forcing FPV operators to detonate early, snag propellers, or disrupt shaped-charge jets before they reach vulnerable roof areas. The arrangement is reminiscent of the anti-drone meshes and “turtle tanks” widely seen in the Russo-Ukrainian war, but differs in that it is conceived as a standardized kit, not a local improvisation.
Technically, the cage is likely to use hardened steel or alloy mesh optimized to stop small, fast-moving drones without adding unnecessary weight to an already 55-ton platform. Visual analysis of similar configurations suggests critical features: 360-degree coverage beyond the turret ring, reinforced arches to resist steep top-attack trajectories, and side panels positioned over ammunition stowage areas that are particularly exposed on the PzH 2000 family. At the same time, the open-lattice geometry preserves airflow around the engine deck and limits the impact on mobility and thermal management, avoiding the excessive loads and mechanical strain that some Russian and Ukrainian vehicles have experienced when carrying very heavy improvised armor.
The PzH 2000NL, the Dutch variant of the German 155 mm Panzerhaubitze 2000, is the Royal Netherlands Army’s heaviest artillery system and can engage targets at ranges approaching 50 km with appropriate ammunition. Introduced in the 2000s, these howitzers established operational credibility during ISAF operations in Afghanistan, providing long‑range fire support for Dutch‑led task forces in engagements such as Operation Medusa and the Battle of Chora. More recently, the Netherlands has reinforced its association with the platform through military assistance to Ukraine, supplying eight PzH 2000 systems and accompanying ammunition in coordination with Germany. In Ukrainian service the guns have been commended for their accuracy and rate of fire, while intense operational use and an evolving drone threat have highlighted the need for enhanced protection of any remaining national inventory.
From an industrial standpoint, COBBS Industries is not a classical heavy-armor manufacturer but a specialist integrator of tactical equipment, soldier systems, unmanned platforms and C4ISR solutions for European law-enforcement and NATO customers. Its involvement suggests that the anti-drone net will likely be part of a broader mission package, potentially integrating with sensors, cameras or even lightweight counter-UAS tools rather than being a simple welding job. This approach mirrors a wider doctrinal shift: drone protection is no longer viewed as a purely mechanical issue but as one layer within a multi-domain survivability concept combining passive armor, electronic warfare, decoys and dispersion.
Compared with other counter-UAS solutions, the COBBS net system serves as a passive, last line of defence. The Netherlands is already making substantial investments in active short-range air defence through the procurement of 22 Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 combat counter-UAS systems, which will be integrated on ACSV tracked vehicles and are scheduled to enter service from 2028. These Skyranger platforms employ radar, electro-optical sensors, a 30 mm airburst cannon, and missiles to intercept drones and low-flying aircraft over several kilometres, providing the outer protective layer for manoeuvre units and critical assets. The anti-drone net fitted around the PzH 2000NL complements this capability by addressing threats within the final metres of engagement, specifically, when a small FPV drone bypasses air defence layers and targets a turret roof or engine deck. This approach reflects the broader “layered” air defence model adopted across NATO, extending the protective envelope down to individual artillery systems.
This engineered net system also responds to lessons drawn directly from Ukraine. FPV drones and other small loitering munitions have become some of the most cost-effective tools for destroying artillery, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces deploying millions of these munitions over the past two years. Their prevalence has forced units to rely on camouflage, frequent repositioning, electronic jamming and, increasingly, heavy overhead cage armor to avoid being struck during firing missions or while moving between positions. Both sides have experimented with extraordinary structures, from basic slat cages to full metal “turtles” and even vehicles encased in house-like shells, illustrating a clear operational demand but also the inefficiencies and vulnerabilities of improvised fixes. By moving early to a standardized, professionally engineered anti-drone net for its premier artillery system, the Netherlands is attempting to capture the protective benefits of these battlefield adaptations while minimizing their drawbacks in terms of mobility, crew visibility and maintenance.
Strategically, the COBBS project positions the Netherlands as one of the first NATO countries to formalize cage armor against drones as a programmatic capability rather than a front-line improvisation. It complements The Hague’s decision to build a layered counter-UAS posture around systems like Skyranger 30 and mobile missile-based air defence, signalling that Dutch planners expect drone saturation, rather than traditional air power alone, to shape the threat environment for land forces. For NATO, this move adds another piece to the alliance’s ongoing adaptation to the drone age, in which high-value assets such as long-range artillery, command posts and logistics nodes must assume they will be constantly observed and targeted by cheap, expendable platforms.
The Ukraine dimension is particularly sensitive. Dutch PzH 2000 howitzers supplied to Kyiv have been operated at the upper limits of their design, testing both sustained firing rates and platform durability. Although the COBBS net is currently framed as a national capability for the Royal Netherlands Army, its conceptual origins and export potential are directly informed by conditions on the Ukrainian front. If Dutch trials validate the system’s effectiveness, it could serve as a blueprint for upgrading Ukrainian artillery or for other European PzH 2000 operators seeking enhanced protection against top‑attack drones. With Kyiv planning to acquire large numbers of FPV drones in 2025 and adversaries accelerating their own drone programs, measures that reduce artillery vulnerability, given artillery’s continued battlefield significance, will carry immediate operational and political weight.
Assigning the development of the anti‑drone net to a domestic firm carries clear industrial and geopolitical implications. The decision supports the Netherlands’ objective to preserve sovereign expertise across critical land‑warfare technologies, from protected mobility to counter‑UAS, and to integrate national SMEs into broader European supply chains. As European states aim to lessen reliance on non‑European suppliers and to respond more rapidly to operational lessons from Ukraine, agile, niche programmes like this offer a more flexible model for capability development. Coupled with vehicle upgrades, sensor suites and command‑and‑control systems, the anti‑drone cage could be developed as a modular package suitable for export alongside the PzH 2000 or other tracked platforms.
The COBBS anti-drone net for the PzH 2000NL marks a quiet but important shift: artillery is now being designed not only to outrange and outshoot the enemy, but also to survive in an airspace dominated by cheap, ubiquitous drones. By investing early in a purpose-built protective cage, the Netherlands is acknowledging that FPV and loitering munitions will remain a central feature of modern warfare, from Ukraine to any future high-intensity theatre. For Dutch gunners, the promise is tangible, greater chances of completing missions and surviving repeated drone attacks. For NATO planners and adversaries alike, it is another signal that the alliance is internalizing the lessons of Ukraine and turning battlefield improvisations into structured capabilities that will shape the next generation of land warfare.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.