"Defending the Dutch Caribbean: An Assessment"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Opinion
Geopolitical Monitor
10 February 2023
Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/defending-the-dutch-caribbean-an-assessment/
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and their eldest daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia, of the Netherlands, took a tour of the six islands across the Dutch Caribbean between 27 January and 9 February. Their voyage to the Western Hemisphere took them to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Marteen, which together constitute the Dutch Caribbean, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The visit had a significant component: the royal family was transported from Aruba to Curacao aboard the Holland-class offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Holland (P-84), the current station ship assigned to the Dutch Caribbean, and also aboard a FRISC interceptor craft. These two voyages bring attention to an essential component of the Dutch military, which is not commonly known except to defense analysts: the Dutch Caribbean defense force.
