Royal Netherlands Army | |
---|---|
Logo of the Royal Netherlands Army
|
|
Founded | January 9, 1814 |
Country | Netherlands |
Allegiance | King of the Netherlands |
Type | Army |
Size | 21,500 active full time and part time personnel |
Part of | Dutch Ministry of Defense |
HQ | Kromhout kazerne (Utrecht) |
Engagements |
Eighty Years' War Dutch–Portuguese War Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660) Franco-Dutch War Nine Years' War War of the Spanish Succession French Revolutionary Wars Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland Battle of Friedland Peninsular War French invasion of Russia Hundred Days Battle of Waterloo Belgian Revolution World War II Korean War Indonesian National Revolution Cold War Dutch New Guinea Dispute Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Commanders | |
Commander | Lieutenant General Leo Beulen |
Deputy commander | Major General Marc van Uhm |
Insignia | |
Flag |
The Royal Netherlands Army (Dutch: Koninklijke Landmacht (KL), "Royal Army") is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.
The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814—however, its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised. Therefore, the Netherlands has one of the oldest standing armies in the world, dating back to the 16th century. It fought during the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence, Korean War, and served with NATO on the Cold War frontiers in Germany from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Since 1990, the army has deployed to the Iraq War from 2003 and the War in Afghanistan, as well as a number of United Nations peacekeeping deployments, notably with UNIFIL in Lebanon, and UNPROFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992–1995.
2 of 3 Dutch Army Brigades are now under German Command. In 2014 the 11th Airmobile Brigade, was integrated into the German Division of fast forces (DSK). Also the Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade, will be integrated into the 1st Panzer Division (Bundeswehr) of the German army. With the integration starting at the beginning of 2016, and the unit becoming operational at the end of 2019. The Dutch-German military cooperation are seen as an example for setting up a European defense union.
The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was founded. Therefore, the Netherlands operates one of the world's oldest standing armies, dating back to the 16th century. This army of the Dutch Republic was one of the best organised, and well trained armies of the 17th and early 18th century, and saw actions in the Eighty Years War, the Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660), the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years War, the War of Spanish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession, and the French Revolutionary Wars until the French conquered the Netherlands in early 1795.