| Netherlands Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Nederlandse krijgsmacht | |
 Logos of the Netherlands Armed Forces | |
| Founded | 1572; 453 years ago (1572) |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Ministry of Defence, The Hague |
| Website | defensie.nl |
| Leadership | |
| Supreme Command |  The Government |
| Minister of Defence |  Ruben Brekelmans |
| State Secretary of Defence |  Gijs Tuinman |
| Chief of Defence |  GeneralOnno Eichelsheim |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 17[1] |
| Conscription | Inactive since 1996 |
| Active personnel | 44,245 (1 September 2025)[2] |
| Reserve personnel | 8,510 (1 September 2025)[2] |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | US$23.2 billion (2024)[3] |
| Percent of GDP | 1.9% (2024)[4] |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | |
| Foreign suppliers | |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of the Netherlands |
| Ranks | Military ranks of the Netherlands |
TheNetherlands Armed Forces (Dutch:Nederlandse krijgsmacht) are themilitary forces of theKingdom of the Netherlands (mainlandNetherlands in Europe and islands of theDutch Caribbean). The armed forces consist of four service branches: theRoyal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine), theRoyal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht), theRoyal Netherlands Air and Space Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) and theRoyal Netherlands Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee). The service branches are supplemented by various joint support organizations. In addition, local conscript forces exist on the Dutch Caribbean islands ofAruba andCuraçao. These operate under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Navy and theNetherlands Marine Corps. The armed forces are part of theMinistry of Defence.
Supreme command of the armed forces is determined in Article 97 of theconstitution, which states "The Government shall have supreme authority over the armed forces". Service members swear allegiance to the King in his role as head of state.
Themilitary ranks of the Netherlands armed forces are similar to those of fellowNATO member states and were established byRoyal Decree. The highest-rankingofficer in the Dutch military is theChief of Defence, who is a four-star officer (NATO OF-9).
After initial cooperation with theGerman army in 1995 through aMünster-located corps and increasing cross-linking during the following decades, all three Royal Netherlands Army combat brigades have fully integrated into German divisions as of March 2023.[5]
In 2024 the Netherlands Armed Forces was awarded theWateler Peace Prize.[6]
The Netherlands armed forces exist by declaration in theconstitution of the Netherlands.[7] Article 97 of the constitution determines that the armed forces exist
This means that the role and responsibility of the Dutch military in international stability and peacekeeping is constitutionally determined.
The same article of the constitution determines that supreme command of the Dutch military resides with theGovernment of the Netherlands. This has been the case since the constitution was changed in 1983; before then, supreme command of the armed forces of the Netherlands was held by theMonarch.
The existence of, authority over, and tasks of the armed forces are determined in theconstitution of the Netherlands.The Government, which consists of cabinet members led by thePrime Minister and theKing, functions as the head of the armed forces. Although service members swear allegiance to theKing of the Netherlands, the monarch does not hold the position ofcommander-in-chief. Therefore, in practice, important decisions are made by Cabinet, while theMinister of Defence assumes political responsibility over the Ministry.[citation needed]
TheMinistry of Defence is the government ministry which is responsible for formulating and executing defence policy. The ministry consists of the Minister,State Secretary, the Central Staff, the Netherlands Armed Forces and two independent support organizations. The Central Staff (Bestuursstaf) of the Ministry comprises several directorates responsible for executing policy, advising the Minister and State Secretary, and controlling the Defence organization. The Central Staff is led by the highest civil servant of the defence organization, the Secretary General. Moreover, the Central Staff incorporates the Defence Staff, which is the highest military organ under command of theChief of Defence. The Chief of Defence is the military leader of the Netherlands Armed Forces and the most senior military adviser to the Minister of Defence. The Chief of Defence has command over the Armed Forces, theNetherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM) and theDefence Cyber Command. Several special executive organizations, including theMilitary Intelligence and Security Service and the office of the Inspector General, are incorporated into the Central Staff as well.[citation needed]
The Netherlands Armed Forces are a professional military,conscription in the Netherlands having been suspended in 1996 with the exception of Aruba and Curaçao.[8] All military branches are open to female recruits. In 2018 the Ministry of Defence announced that the submarine service will begin accepting female recruits for positions as officer, NCO and sailor.[9]
TheDutch Ministry of Defence employs over 70,000 personnel, including both civilian and military personnel.[10] The distribution of personnel in the Defence organization, including the Armed Forces, on 1 September 2025 was as follows:
| Service | Military | Reserve | Civilian | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | 7324 | 1826 | 3226 | 12,411 |
| Army | 17806 | 4873 | 3,927 | 26,606 |
| Air and Space Force | 7051 | 1067 | 1349 | 9,467 |
| Marechaussee | 7405 | 484 | 986 | 8,874 |
| Central Staff | 1,336 | 32 | 3116 | 4,484 |
| Defence Support Command | 2,602 | 179 | 8023 | 10,804 |
| Materiel and IT Command | 721 | 14 | 5941 | 6,776 |
| Total | 44,245 | 8,510 | 26,568 | 79,323 |
In March 2025 it was announced that the Dutch government wants to increase the size of the Netherlands Armed Forces from 70,000 to 200,000 personnel.[11]
The Dutch military is part of theNATO militaries and therefore conforms to the structure of a NATO military. It also uses conformingrank structures.
All Dutch military personnel,officers andenlisted personnel, are required to take anoath of allegiance. This oath is recorded in the law on General Military Personnel Regulations (Algemeen Militair Ambtenarenregelement) in Article 126a and states the following:[12]
Translated in English:
Unlike many military organizations, Dutch military members are allowed to form and join unions.[13]
There is a wide variety of unions, including unions exclusive to officers or particular service branches. Some of the larger unions include:
The Royal Netherlands Navy (Dutch:Koninklijke Marine) is the Netherlands Armed Forces' maritime force which consists of24 commissioned ships and an additional number of support ships of various types. The Navy is commanded by theCommander of the Royal Netherlands Navy (Dutch:Commandant Zeestrijdkrachten), an officer in the rank ofVice Admiral orLieutenant General of the Marines, who reports directly to theChief of Defence. In addition to being the commanding officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy, theCommandant Zeestrijdkrachten holds the position ofAdmiral Benelux. As such, theCommandant Zeestrijdkrachten is the commanding officer of the operational units of the Royal Netherlands Navy and theBelgian Naval Component.
The surface fleet of the Navy consist offrigates,amphibious warfare ships,patrol vessels,mine-countermeasure vessels and multipleauxiliary ships. All major surface vessels of the Royal Netherlands Navy are constructed at the DutchshipyardDamen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. This includes the technologically advanced air-defence frigates of theDe Zeven Provinciën-class.Thales Nederland produces various types of high-endsensors andradars for the Dutch fleet.
TheRoyal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service (Dutch:Onderzeedienst) was established in 1906 and is responsible for the operation of allDutch submarines. As of 2021, theOnderzeedienst operates fourWalrus-class submarines and onesubmarine tender,HNLMSMercuur. The Dutch submarines fulfill a considerable role withinNATO as their small size and expeditionary capacities allow them to operate in waters that are off-limits to larger submarines. The Ministry of Defence initiated a replacement program in November 2014. in March 2024 the winning bid was announced with the newer class being calledOrka-class and are planned to enter service in the late 2030s.The Netherlands Select Naval Group for its New Submarines
The Netherlands Marine Corps is the Navy'snaval infantry corps. The Corps consist of two battalion-sized Marine Combat Groups, various support units and theNetherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces. The Marines are specialized inamphibious,arctic andmountain warfare as well asspecial operations. The Corps operates a fleet of landing craft that can operate from one of the two Navy'samphibious transport docks.
The Royal Netherlands Army (Dutch:Koninklijke Landmacht) consists of regular Army personnel and theNational Reserve Corps. The Army is headed by theCommander of the Royal Netherlands Army (Dutch:Commandant Landstrijdkrachten), its headquarters are located on theKromhoutkazerne inUtrecht. The core fighting element of the Army consist of three combat brigades:11 Airmobile Brigade,13 Light Brigade and43 Mechanized Brigade. The brigade-sizedOperational Support Command Land fields a variety ofcombat support andcombat service support units while the Army'sspecial operations forces are part of theKorps Commandotroepen. The Army'sinfantry regiments fulfil several distinct roles, these includeair assault,armoured infantry,light infantry andspecial operations. Furthermore, the Army fieldscavalry,artillery,engineering andmedical regiments.
The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (Dutch:Koninklijke Luchtmacht) is themilitary aviation and space warfare branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces and is led by theCommander of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (Commandant Lucht-en Ruimtestrijdkrachten). The Air and Space Force operates a diverse fleet offixed-wing androtary aircraft, in addition to operating and maintaining multipleairbases. Moreover, Air and Space Force personnel contributes to theJoint Ground-based Air Defence Command by operating various air-defence systems while other units are dedicated toforce protection. The Air and Space Force operates modernfighter aircraft, such as theF-16 Fighting Falcon andF-35 Lightning II, tankers, transports, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and various types of training aircraft. Until 2025, the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force was called the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Dutch:Koninklijke Marechaussee) is agendarmerie force which performs bothmilitary and civilianpolice duties. In addition to the military police duties, the Marechaussee has a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. This includes guarding thenational borders andairports, fightingillegal immigration andtransnational crime and guarding theroyal palaces.
The Marechaussee was established as one of the separate Armed Forces in 1998; before then the Marechaussee was organized as one of the arms within the Army.While the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence, the branch often performs duties delegated by theMinistry of Justice and Security and theMinistry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Moreover, several brigades of the Marechaussee are permanently stationed in theDutch Caribbean.
Since the 1990s, the Dutch military has been involved in several military campaigns and peace-keeping missions, these include:
As part ofOperation Enduring Freedom, the Netherlands deployed aircraft which were integrated in the European Participating Air Force (EPAF) in support of ground operations inAfghanistan. Additionally, Dutch naval frigates were tasked with policing the waters of the Middle East and Indian Ocean. Between 2001 and 2003, a reinforced army company was deployed to Afghanistan to provide support in maintaining public order and providing security in and around the capitalKabul.[14] Furthermore, military assistance was provided to theAfghan National Army and local security forces. The troops were deployed under the command ofNATO'sInternational Security Assistance Force mission.
The Netherlands deployed further troops and helicopters to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of a new security operation in the south of the country.[15] In mid-2006, Dutch special forces of theKorps Commandotroepen as part of the Deployment Task Force successfully deployed toTarin Kowt to lay the ground for the increasing numbers ofengineers who were due to build a base there.[16] By August 2006 the Netherlands had deployed the majority of 1,400 troops toUruzgan province in southern Afghanistan atKamp Holland inTarin Kowt (1,200) and Kamp Hadrian inDeh Rahwod (200).[17][18]PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery pieces were deployed and used in combat for the first time.[19] The Dutch forces operated under the command of theISAFTask Force Uruzgan and were involved in some of the more intensivecombat operations in southern Afghanistan, includingOperation Medusa and theBattle of Chora.[20][19] On 18 April 2008, on the second day of his command, the son ofthen-Chief of Defence generalPeter van Uhm, Lieutenant Dennis van Uhm, was one of two servicemen killed by a road-side explosion.[21] As of 1 September 2008, the Netherlands had a total of 1,770 troops in Afghanistan excluding special forces troops.[22]
Between 2002 and 2021, Dutch military personnel worked successively in the Afghan provinces of Kabul, Baghlan, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Kunduz and Balkh, with the aim, among other things, to bring stability and to build up the security apparatus, the army and the police.[23]In total, 25 Dutch servicemen werekilled in action during the deployment.[24]
From 2015 until 2021, approximately 160 Dutch troops of theKorps Commandotroepen,NLMARSOF and multiple conventional support elements were deployed to the city ofMazar-e-Sharif as part of NATO'sResolute Support Mission.[25] Dutch troops co-operated with personnel of the GermanKommando Spezialkräfte as part of the German-Dutch lead Special Operations Advisory Team (SOAT). The SOAT provided advice and assistance during operations of the Afghanpolice tactical unit, the Afghan Territorial Force-888 (ATF-888).[26] The SOAT was granted authority to deploy in the entirety of Afghanistan in 2019.[27] The operations ended with the withdrawal of all United States and allied troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
A contingent of 1,345 Army andMarines Corps personnel, supported byRoyal Netherlands Air Force helicopters, was deployed toIraq in 2003, based at Camp Smitty nearAs Samawah (southern Iraq) with responsibility for theMuthanna Province, as part of theMultinational force in Iraq.[28] On June 1, 2004, the Dutch government renewed their stay through 2005.[29] The Netherlands removed its troops from Iraq in March 2005, leaving half a dozen liaison officers until late 2005.[30] The Netherlands lost two soldiers in separate attacks.[29]
On 24 September 2014, theDutch government announced its participation in the military campaign againstISIL, and sent sixF-16 fighter jets to Iraq to bomb ISIL. Their motivations to join this war: ISIL's advance in Iraq andSyria, while displaying "unprecedented violence" and "perpetrating terrible crimes against population groups", formed "a direct threat for that region"; ISIL's advance in Iraq and Syria "causes instability at the borders ofEurope" which threatens "our own [Dutch] safety". Figures requested byRTL Nieuws in August 2015 showed that theNetherlands was among the most active countries within the coalition, third behind only theUnited States and theUnited Kingdom.[31] In January 2016, the Netherlands extended their bombings of ISIL to Syrian territory. By the end of July 2016 the Dutch Air Task Force flew more than 2100 missions and carried out over 1800 air strikes.[32] At the end of the Dutch contribution to the Air Task Force, in December 2018, theRoyal Netherlands Air Force had flown over 3000 missions and conducted approximately 2100 air strikes.[33]
From 2015 until the spring of 2018, KCT and NLMARSOFspecial operations forces deployed advice and assist teams to northern Iraq in cooperation with the BelgianSpecial Forces Group.[34] During this deployment, they provided support to KurdishPeshmerga andIraqi Army forces before, during and after operations in thebattle against ISIL, as part of theCombined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.[35]
As amaritime nation and birthplace of the earliestmaritime law, the Netherlands have historically highly valued themare liberum principle. Hence, the Dutch government decided to contribute a significant amount of naval assets to combatingpiracy off the coast of Somalia since its most recent surge starting in 2005. The Royal Netherlands Navy was an active contributor to NATO'sOperation Allied Protector andOperation Ocean Shield, as well as to theEuropean Union'sOperation Atalanta. Ships partaking in these missions includedDe Zeven Provinciën-class frigates,landing platform docksHNLMSRotterdam andHNLMSJohan de Witt, and submarines of theWalrus-class. Additionally,surface combatants permanently carriedboarding teams of theNetherlands Marine Corps. These boarding parties were often composed of operators of theNetherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces (NLMARSOF). In addition, conventional marine units supply Vessel Protection Detachments (VPDs) which continue to guard Dutch merchant vessels during transits through piracy-prone waters as of 2021.
The Dutch naval forces were regularly engaged in combat. Firefights between the naval ships and Somali pirates have cost the lives of pirates on multiple occasions.[36] During theAction of 5 April 2010, a boarding team of theUnit Interventie Mariniers liberatedcontainer ship MVTaipan after rappelling down fromHNLMSTromp's helicopter onto containers on the ship's deck under the cover of machine gun fire.[37] The successful operation was filmed with a helmet camera, the video footage reached worldwidenews media and gained millions of views onYouTube.[38] Moreover, NLMARSOFfrogmen have successfully conducted sabotage operations of pirates'motherships by clandestinely attaching explosives to the ships'bilge.[39]
Special forces of theKorps Commandotroepen were deployed toMali since 2014 as part of the UN missionMINUSMA.[40] The primary task of the Dutch forces was to gather intelligence on local Islamist and rebel groups and to protect the people of Mali against said groups.[41] Since 2016, conventional detachments consisting of11 Air Assault Brigade and13 Light Brigade troops were part of the MINUSMA rotations as well. Additionally, the Dutch contribution consisted of a RNLAFAH-64 Apache andCH-47 Chinook detachment which provided the necessary air support and transport for the infantry units on the ground.
On 16 March 2015, a Dutch AH-64D Apacheattack helicopter of the Dutch MINUSMA air detachment crashed during a firing exercise, killing the two pilots.[42] On 6 July 2016, two servicemen of 11 Air Assault Brigade were killed during a mortar-firing exercise, while a third serviceman was severely wounded.[43] The incident lead to the resignation of theminister of DefenceJeanine Hennis-Plasschaert andChief of Defence GeneralTom Middendorp after a critical report by theDutch Safety Board found that the safety standards were subpar.[44][45] The Netherlands ended their sizable contribution to the peacekeeping mission in May 2019 to send additional troops to Afghanistan instead.[46]
| Chief of Defence | Appointed | Branch | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  GeneralOnno Eichelsheim (Born 1966) | 15 April 2021 (4 years, 224 days) |  Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (Attack helicopters) | |
| Vice Chief of Defence | Appointed | Branch | ||
 |  Lieutenant generalLudy Schmidt | 27 October 2024 (1 year, 29 days) |  Royal Netherlands Army (Infantry) | |
| Commander of the Army | Appointed | Branch | ||
 | Lieutenant general Jan Swillens (Born 1967) | 8 March 2024 (1 year, 114 days) | Royal Netherlands Army (Commandos) | |
| Commander of the Navy | Appointed | Branch | ||
 |  Vice admiralHarold Liebregs (Born 1968) | 18 September 2025 (68 days) |  Royal Netherlands Navy (Submarine Service) | |
| Commander of the Air Force | Appointed | Branch | ||
 |  Lieutenant generalAndré Steur (Born 1970) | 14 April 2023 (2 years, 224 days) | Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (Fighters) | |
| Commander of the Royal Marechaussee | Appointed | Branch | ||
 |  Lieutenant generalAnnelore Roelofs [nl] (Born 1958) | 1 September 2023 (2 years, 85 days) |  Royal Marechaussee (Police Service DistrictSchiphol) | |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)
