The Netherlands armed forces make an important contribution to national security. Approximately 1/3 of the Netherlands armed forces is engaged in this area on a daily basis, both in the Netherlands and in the Caribbean territories of the Kingdom. Military personnel guard the nation’s airspace and dispose of explosive ordnance, for example. Military pageantry is the Netherlands’ calling card. The armed forces cooperate closely with municipal authorities, judicial authorities, the police, fire services and the Public Prosecution Service. This cooperation takes place in the context of crisis situations or disaster relief, for example.
