The Quest for Relevant Air Power

230 │ ROYAL NETHERLANDS Air Force
Command of the Air Forces and, as such, absorbed the Royal
Netherlands Navy’s Maritime Helicopter Group. 40
Emphasis upon Air Power. In 2003 the Netherlands spent 1.6
per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, below
the European NATO average of two per cent. 41 Also, from a longterm
perspective, the Netherlands has never allotted a relatively
high percentage of its GDP to defence. 42 In the chart below, the
single-service budget allocations throughout the 1990s are presented.
(Tabular comparisons of the national defence expenditures
are provided in chap. 7.)
The Army received by far the largest part of the annual defence
budget, though a slight trend towards increased spending on the
sister services became visible. This imbalanced funding has its
roots in the Cold War. In an effort to stifle interservice feuds, the
Netherlands introduced a division of the defence budget accord-
50
40
Per Cent
30
20
10
0
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Army Navy Air Force
Figure 4. Budget allocation to the single services (Netherlands).
(Adapted from J. Franssen, chairman, Van wankel evenwicht naar
versterkte defensieorganisatie: advies van de Adviescommissie Opperbevelhebberschap
[From a precarious balance to a reinforced
defence system: advice from the advisory committee supreme command]
[The Hague: Adviescommissie Opperbevelhebberschap
[Advisory Committee Supreme Command], 19 April 2002], background
information, part B, De verdeling van de budgetten die in de
afgelopen tien jaren aan de krijgsmachtdelen zijn toebedeeld [Budget
allocation to the single services in the last ten years].)