Service academyThe service academy of the Royal Netherlands Army is the Koninklijke Militaire Academie. Structure of the ArmyUnits of the Royal Netherlands ArmyCavalry
A fourth regiment, the Regiment Huzaren Prins Alexander, was disbanded in November 2007 due to budget cuts. This regiment represents the former 3rd Hussars Regiment, formed in 1814 (origins date back to 1672). It was known as the Red (because of the red colour on their uniform) or Guards Hussars, but was never really a Guards regiment. InfantryEach infantry regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army consists of a single battalion. The staff support compagnies of 11th Air Mobile Brigade, 13th Mechanized Brigade en 43rd Mechanized Brigade are part of the Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers, the Garderegiment Fusiliers Prinses Irene and Regiment Infanterie Johan Willem Friso respectively. Guards
Fennek RCV of the Royal Netherlands Army.
AH-64 of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
Line Infantry
The Regiment Limburgse Jagers and Regiment Infanterie Oranje Gelderland guard the traditions of the former 6th and 8th Infantry Regiment respectively. In the near future, the traditions of the Regiment Infanterie Menno van Coehoorn (former 3rd Infantry regiment, disbanded 1995) will be guarded by the Regiment Infantry Johan Willem Friso. The 4th Infantry Regiment (disbanded 1950) and the Regiment Infanterie Chassé (former 7th Infantry Regiment, disbanded 1995) remain disbanded. Special Forces
Support Arms
Services
Army ReserveKorps Nationale Reserve - five mixed regional oriented battalions (mainly infantry with a light role), similar to UK Territorial Army. The battalions are placed under command of three Regional Support Commands, that will be integrated with the 11th Air Mobile Brigade, 13th Mechanized Brigade and 43rd Mechanized Brigade by 2008. Bi-national Army CorpsThe Netherlands and Germany work together in a Bi-national Army Corps structure, the I. German/Dutch Corps. This is a rapid deployable Army Corps headquarters which can be deployed in the frame of the NATO Response Force. The permanent elements of this corps are a bi-national Staff Support Battalion and a bi-national Communications and Informations Battalion. The Staff Support Battalion consists of a bi-national staff support company and a logistics company. The battalion is based at Münster (Germany) and Eibergen (the Netherlands). The Communications and Informations Battalion is based in Eibergen and Garderen. EquipmentArmourTracked
Wheeled
Other armoured vehicles
Leopard 2A6 Main battle tank of the Royal Netherlands Army.
Other vehicles
Artillery
PzH 2000 155 mm Self-propelled howitzer of the Royal Netherlands Army.
Personal weapons
Rank structureSee Military ranks of the Dutch armed forces. Recent deploymentsBosnia-HerzegovinaDutch army troops have deployed as part of an international protection force since end of 1995. KosovoDutch army troops have deployed as part of the NATO Kosovo Force since 1999. IraqA contingent of 1,345 troops (comprising Landmacht and Dutch Marines, supported by Royal Netherlands Air Force helicopters) was deployed to Iraq in 2003, based in Samawah (Southern Iraq), as part of the Multinational force in Iraq. On June 1, 2004, the Dutch government renewed their stay through 2005. The Algemeen Dagblad reported on October 21, 2004, that the Netherlands would pull its troops out of Iraq in March 2005, which it did, leaving half a dozen liaison officers until late 2005. The Dutch Government reportedly turned down an Iraqi Government request to extend the Dutch contingent for another year. The Netherlands lost 2 soldiers in separate attacks. AfghanistanIn mid 2006, Dutch Special Forces Korps Commandotroepen teams deployed successfully to Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan, to lay the ground for the increasing numbers of engineers who were building a vast base there. At the same time other special forces units from other nations deployed throughout the area, and worked closely together in this volatile area. By August 2006 the Netherlands deployed the majority of 1,400 troops to Uruzgan province at southern Afghanistan at Tarin Kowt (1,200), at Kamp Holland, and Deh Rahwod (200). [1] The soldiers of Task Force Uruzgan were mostly from the Regiment Van Heutsz, suplemented with soldiers from 44 Pantserinfanteriebataljon Regiment Johan Willem Friso and the 42 Tankbataljon Regiment Huzaren Prins van Oranje. PzH 2000 self propelled artillery pieces have been deployed and used in combat for the first time. Since 2006, Dutch forces have been involved in some of the more intensive combat operations in southern Afghanistan, including Operation Medusa and the Battle of Chora. External links
References
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