The Quest for Relevant Air Power

250 │ ROYAL NETHERLANDS Air Force
this increased self-awareness. Operations in Central Asia are likely
to further shape RNLAF air power doctrine.
In 2005 the joint defence staff published a national defence doctrine.
In his foreword, Gen D. L. Berlijn, chief of the defence staff,
underlines that the Netherlands Defence Doctrine (NDD) filled
the gap between the single-service doctrines and Dutch defence
policy. 144 As a consequence, future single-service doctrines were
to be harmonised with the NDD. 145 While the joint defence staff,
the Army, and the Navy established doctrinal departments institutionalising
the doctrinal development process, the RNLAF
has—as of mid-2010—not yet installed a dedicated doctrine entity
or published an air power doctrine in line with the NDD. 146
This current relative lack of doctrinal activities leads to the realization
that the 1990s—with its numerous Western air campaigns—provided
a more fertile ground for air power doctrine in
the Netherlands.
Since the RNLAF is fully aware of its limited size, one of its
goals is interoperability with the larger air forces not only in
terms of hardware and software but also in terms of doctrine. In
the mid-1990s, RNLAF officers were already stressing the value
of international cooperation in air power doctrine. At a Dutch
air power colloquium in 1997, an air commodore raised the idea
of establishing a European air warfare centre, bringing together
multi national expertise for developing doctrine, conducting education
and training, and planning and organising multinational
operations. 147 The establishment of NATO’s Joint Air Power
Competence Centre in 2005 is fully in line with the air commodore’s
vision of a combined approach to developing air power
doctrine. Again, the RNLAF can draw upon a multinational institution
as a force multiplier to compensate for relatively limited
national resources.
Teaching of Air Power Thought
In 1992 the Netherlands armed forces collocated the singleservice
advanced staff courses and established the Netherlands
Defence College (NDC), underlining the thrust towards joint education.
A limited number of midcareer officers are selected to attend
the year-long advanced staff course. It originally consisted of
several modules, including one on air power and strategy. 148