The sea has always played a significant role in Dutch history and it is absolutely clear that the positive effects of being a nation with a long maritime tradition have prevailed to the present day. Maritime mobility allowed a number of nations, the Netherlands included, to create empires, commercial networks, and spheres of influence that in their heyday dominated world politics. The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) is responsible for the maritime component in the Netherlands' Armed Forces and focuses on three main task areas. 1. National Maritime Tasks - These include the Navy's responsibility in the defence of Dutch and Netherlands Antilles territories and wide-ranging support to "classic" territorial homeland security as well as the protection of national interests at sea, such as ensuring unimpeded commercial traffic. 2. Security Delivered from the Sea - The Royal Netherlands Navy / Marine Corps team can operate independently of national boundaries. From its self-sufficient sea-base it can deploy and sustain elements of the Netherlands Armed Forces throughout every phase of a conflict. Furthermore, the Navy can provide comprehensive humanitarian relief or assistance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster without impinging upon scarce local resources.
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