Do the German and Dutch armies unite?

February 23, 2023

Do the German and Dutch armies unite?

Friday, February 24, 2023. Specifically, according to International Media,

"The Netherlands and Germany took a big step towards the unification of their armed forces, with the integration of the last Dutch brigade into the German army, the NRC reported Thursday."

The integration - the subordination of the Dutch army to the German one

The 13th Light Brigade, based at Oirschot, would come under the command of the German 10th Panzer Division, creating a unified force of 50,000 soldiers.

The total human resources of the armed forces of both countries are 89,000, of which 24,000 are Dutch.

The NRC said the merger was part of the "Common Army Vision," an agreement between the armed forces of the two countries, signed in late November last year at a meeting in Dresden between Martin Wijnen, Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces, and his German counterpart by Alfons Mais.

It will represent the closest cooperation between two countries in NATO and is part of a large-scale restructuring of the German military due to take effect on April 1, 2023.

Jean-Paul Duckers, deputy director of Dutch operations, told NRC: "A lot of people don't realize how unique what we do is." The Ministry of Defense said a political decision had not been made, and the joint military vision was a "proposal."

However, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told parliament in September that integrating the 13th Light Brigade into the German army was "being explored."

The coalition agreement published last January and the defense ministry's policy statement in June mentioned closer cooperation with Germany without going into details.

The policy statement said the two countries will strengthen their combined operations, firepower, and other capabilities.

At the same time, the "further digitization" of their militaries in the coming years will play a "major role."

In closing, we point out that the Russian threat and the need for common defense drove the developments in the integration - the subordination of the Dutch army to the German one.

Everyone is intensively preparing for the coming World War III.

Article source: Holland news.