In 2006, the Royal Netherlands Navy is as busy as ever. From the shallow seas of the coast of the European continent to the Arabian Sea, in the Caribbean and from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sailors and marines have been deployed to all corners of the globe in a continuous struggle for international peace and stability. At home the armed forces are nearing the end of a serious process of reorganisation, transformation, streamlining and reorientation. Marines and Fleet have been integrated into one operational Royal Netherlands Navy Command with a deployable staff, the Netherlands Maritime Force. And a centralised Defence Staff has been formed, headed by the Chief of Defence as the corporate planner and operator. In this short article you will find a brief overview, not of everything we do, but of the most important themes and issues concerning the Dutch navy.
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