Netherlands Special Operations Command

Last updated

Netherlands Special Operations Command
Logo NLD SOCOM.svg
Emblem of NLD SOCOM
Active5 December 2018;5 years ago (2018-12-05)
CountryFlag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
Type Joint command
Special operations forces
Role Special operations
Part of Onderscheidingsvlag van de Commandant der Strijdkrachten 2005.svg Chief of Defence
HQ The Hague
Nickname(s)NLD SOCOM
Commanders
Current
commander		 Major general Ron Smits

The Netherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM) is a joint command of the Netherlands Armed Forces which is responsible for the planning, command and control, execution and evaluation of all operations conducted by the Dutch special operations forces, the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) and the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces (NLMARSOF). [1]

Contents

History

The establishment of a joint command that would unify the SOF units of the armed forces had been subject of debate for numerous years. The increasing demand for the deployment of SOF added in the 15 years prior to the establishment of a joint command added to this discussion. Therefore, a task force SOCOM was established in 2017 under the command of lieutenant general Hans Wehren which was due to transform into an operational command. [2] On 5 December 2018, the command was formally founded with a ceremony at Gilze-Rijen Air Base. [3] NLD SOCOM reached full operational capability on 2 October 2020. [4]

Organisation

NLD SOCOM is an operational staff and placed under direct command of the Chief of Defence due to the strategic impact of its operations. Although NLD SOCOM is responsible for deployments, the SOF units (KCT and NLMARSOF) administratively remain part of their respective branches, the Royal Netherlands Army and the Royal Netherlands Navy. [1]

NLD SOCOM cooperates closely with the special operations commands of Denmark (SOKOM) and Belgium (SOR) in the Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC). The C-SOCC is a tri-national NATO expeditionary SOF headquarters; in 2021 the C-SOCC is responsible for all SOF efforts of the NATO Response Force (NRF21). [5] Within the C-SOCC, the Netherlands is the lead nation of the Composite Special Operations Air Task Group (C-SOATG). [6] In addition, the Netherlands and Belgium will provide a joint Composite Special Operations Maritime Task Group (C-SOMG) in 2026. [7]

The three primary units currently operating under NLD SOCOM command are:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of the Netherlands

The Netherlands Armed Forces are the military forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The armed forces consist of four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The service branches are supplemented by various joint support organizations. In addition, local conscript forces exist on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curaçao. These operate under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Netherlands Marine Corps. The armed forces are part of the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Belgium

The Belgian Armed Forces is the national military of Belgium. The King of the Belgians is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Belgian Armed Forces was established after Belgium became independent in October 1830. Since then, the Belgian armed forces have fought in World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Kosovo, Rwanda, Somalia and Afghanistan. The Armed Forces comprise five branches: the Land Component, the Air Component, the Naval Component, the Medical Component and the Cyber Component.

The Royal Netherlands Navy is the maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was founded on 8 January 1488, making it the third-oldest naval force in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Marine Corps</span> Royal Dutch Navy component

The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy, one of the four Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The marines trace their origins to the establishment of the Regiment de Marine on 10 December 1665, by the then grand pensionary of the Dutch Republic, Johan de Witt and famous Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. It is the second-oldest still-active marine corps in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Netherlands armed forces

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army, which was founded in 1913. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, active from 1979 until 2019, was the Solo Display Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-Squadron</span> Dutch special forces unit

M-Squadron, formerly the Unit Interventie Mariniers, and before that known as the Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid, is an elite Dutch special forces unit which is tasked with conducting domestic counter-terrorist operations. M-Squadron is part of the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces of the Netherlands Marine Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Army</span> Land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the Staatse Leger was raised making the Dutch standing army one of the oldest in the world. It fought in the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence and the Korean War, as well as served with NATO on the Cold War frontiers in West Germany from the 1950s to the 1990s.

The 11 Air Assault Brigade is the rapid light infantry brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, focused on conducting air assault operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the maroon beret upon completion of the demanding training course, those qualified as military parachutists wear the appropriate parachutist wings. The brigade received the name "7 December" when the First Division "7 December" was disbanded in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korps Commandotroepen</span> Special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army

The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, and the founding of the Korps Speciale Troepen during the Indonesian War of Independence. At present, the unit is tasked with conducting the full spectrum of special operations, its principal tasks being direct action, special reconnaissance, military assistance and counter-terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Special Operations Command</span> Unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for special operations

The United States Special Operations Command is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense and is the only unified combatant command created by an Act of Congress. USSOCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Royal Netherlands Army</span>

The current structure of the Royal Netherlands Army is as follows:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces</span> Maritime special forces

The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces is the special forces unit of the Marine Corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is one of the three principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands. The unit can be deployed worldwide to conduct special operations, including counter-terrorism both overseas and domestically, with a maritime focus. Its operations are planned and coordinated by the Netherlands Special Operations Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VECTOR</span> Military light utility vehicle

The VECTOR is a Dutch light all-terrain tactical vehicle, designed and developed by defence contractor Defenture for use with special operations forces. The VECTOR was developed in close cooperation with the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) of the Royal Netherlands Army and is tailor-made for use in special operations, providing a combination of high mobility and firepower with light armour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Support Command Land</span> Military unit

The Operational Support Command Land is a support command of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command consists of multiple combat support and combat service support units that provide the army with a broad variety of services. The OOCL was established in 2009, with the simultaneous disbandment of 1 Logistics Brigade and 101 Combat Support Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onno Eichelsheim</span>

Onno Eichelsheim is a general in the Royal Netherlands Air Force serving as Chief of Defence of the Netherlands Armed Forces since 15 April 2021. Prior to his post, he served as the Vice Chief of Defence from 1 July 2019 to 8 March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Support Command</span> Military unit

The Fire Support Command is the artillery arm of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command consists of 41 Artillery Battalion, a staff, the Fire Support School and the artillery training grounds and is part of the Operational Support Command Land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defenture</span> Dutch defence vehicles manufacturer

Defenture B.V. is a defence company based in Tiel, the Netherlands that develops and produces specialist vehicles for military purposes. Defenture was established when it won the tender for the replacement of the Mercedes-Benz G280 CDI fleet of the Royal Netherlands Army's special forces, the Korps Commandotroepen.

References

  1. 1 2 "Special Operations Command". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Marchand, Arno (19 December 2018). "Special Operations Command: Binnen luchtmacht belangrijke rol voor SOF Air". De Vliegende Hollander. 12. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. ↑ ten Voorde, Gerard (5 December 2018). "Alle special forces onder één commando". Reformatorisch Dagblad . Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. ↑ Minister of Defence Ank Bijleveld (4 February 2021). "Kamerbrief met Geannoteerde agenda videobijeenkomst NAVO-ministers van Defensie". rijksoverheid.nl. Government. Retrieved 17 April 2021. Met deze brief wil ik u informeren dat NLD SOCOM op 2 oktober 2020 full operational capable (FOC) is verklaard
  5. ↑ "Special Operations Forces klaar voor NAVO-inzet 2021". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. ↑ van Beveren, Arthur (24 November 2020). "Nederland leidt eerste Special Operations Air Task Group: 'Binnen de NAVO is hieraan grote behoefte'". De Vliegende Hollander. 11. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. ↑ Courtial, Marie-Madeleine (16 March 2021). "La Belgique et les Pays-Bas proposeront un Composite Special Operations Maritime Task Group pour 2026". À l'Avant-Garde. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
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