| Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force | |
|---|---|
| Commandant Lucht-en Ruimtestrijdkrachten (Dutch) | |
 | |
| Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force | |
| Abbreviation | C-LRS |
| Reports to | Chief of Defence |
| Formation | 1954 |
| First holder | Anton Baretta |
| Deputy | Deputy commander |
| Website | Official website |
The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (C-LRS) (Dutch : Commandant Lucht-en Ruimtestrijdkrachten) is the highest-ranking officer of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force. He reports directly to the Chief of the Defence (CDS).
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Before being renamed to C-LRS in Dutch on 1 June 2025 due to the addition of a space force to the air force, the position of C-LSK (Commandant Luchtstrijdkrachten) was head of the air force. [1] [2] The position of C-LSK had been in use since 5 September 2005 as part of a reorganization within the Dutch Ministry of Defence in which staff were reduced in size and an entire organizational layer was dropped. Before this reform the commanding officer of the Air Force was called Bevelhebber der Luchtstrijdkrachten.[ citation needed ]
The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force is statutorily a lieutenant general and is the head of the Air and Space Force Command (CLRS).[ citation needed ] They are responsible for preparation, operational command and completion of Air and Space Force operations. In addition, at the request of the CDS, the C-LRS can take joint-command of air operations carried out together with other branches of the Dutch armed forces or foreign militaries, and render support to civilian authorities (foreign and domestic) to maintain the rule of law, combat disasters, provide humanitarian aid, transport patients and firefighting. [3]
