The Royal Marines have close links with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, with whom they conduct NATO exercises throughout the year. Formed during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in 1665, the Dutch Marines distinguished themselves in raids on the English coast, where it is likely they met their future counterparts.
Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
During the War of the Spanish Succession, when the two countries were allies, it was a combined force of British and Dutch Marines, under Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, which captured Gibraltar in 1704.
Since then the Royal Netherlands Corps has always been part of the Dutch Navy, operating anywhere in the world. Their Latin motto consequently is ‘Qua Patet Orbis’, ‘As wide as the world extends’.
The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps consists of approximately 2,800 marines.
Tasks
The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is an expeditionary, rapidly deployable and multi-faceted force, specialised in carrying out amphibious operations with light infantry units. The marines are deployable for long periods of time, under all climatological and geographical conditions. Their training consequently takes place in areas such as mountains, in extremely cold weather, in the jungle or desert and in urban areas. The marines are deployed for defending the territory of NATO countries. The Marine Corps is also active in protecting the territory of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Operational Units
The Netherlands Navy’s motto is ‘Safety at and from sea’. The land-oriented component is made up by the operational units of the Marine Corps. These units consist of two marine battalions (each with about 650 marines), an amphibious logistic battalion and an amphibious combat support battalion.
The operational units of the Marine Corps are stationed on Texel, in Doorn and in Den Helder in the Netherlands. In addition, operational units are stationed in the Caibbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Cooperation with the Royal Marines
Units of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps work in close cooperation with 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines. Operational units of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps are fully integrated into this brigade. This integration is known as the United Kingdom-Netherlands Landing Force and is a component of the United Kingdom-Netherlands Amphibious Force.
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