National tasks

The expeditionary deployment of the armed forces is one of the means of combating threats to national security. Creating security in unstable regions removes breeding grounds for international crime, the drug trade and migration flows.

Intelligence and security

The Military Intelligence and Security Service plays and important and increasing role in preventing threats. Intelligence allows time and space to anticipate events.

Surveillance and security tasks

In view of their training, military units are ideally suited to surveillance and security tasks. Not just guarding Defence installations, but also providing security for the Royal House, money transports of the Central Bank of the Netherlands, mobile brigades at the borders, national airspace security and border control at Schiphol Airport.

Coastguard

The Dutch Coastguard makes an essential contribution to the correct use of the sea and to Dutch maritime security. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the organisation and management of the Coastguard and the execution of its tasks. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Coastguard is a cooperative arrangement between the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and the Netherlands.

Special units

In certain cases, special units of the Defence organisation and the police force can be deployed in the Netherlands. They may be used to end a life-threatening situation, or to arrest armed individuals or individuals suspected of terrorism or extreme violence. These units are part of the Special Interventions Service, which comes under the National Police Services Agency.

Explosive ordnance disposal

The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) provides a capability to locate, identify and dispose of conventional and improvised explosives, on land and in the water. The EOD’s tasks also include protecting units on missions abroad.

Major Incident Hospital

The Major Incident Hospital in Utrecht can also care for patients with contagious diseases.

Defence of Dutch airspace

F-16s are on standby round the clock for the so-called Quick Reaction Alert task, which involves the defence of Dutch airspace. If, for instance, an unidentified aircraft is reported in Dutch airspace, the fighter jets are scrambled within minutes to intercept the aircraft.