The Navy

The Royal Netherlands Navy plays a key role in combating drug trafficking in the Caribbean. We follow the crew of an NH90 helicopter during their mission aboard the offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Holland, hunting down smugglers. To learn how to fight in winter conditions, Arctic training in Norway is part of the Marine Corps training program.

As part of NATO, the Royal Netherlands Navy trains in an international context to be combat-ready at the highest level of conflict intensity. The multi-purpose frigate HNLMS Van Amstel participates in the international exercise Mjölnir, during which the ships face unexpected attacks.

The Defence Diving Group consists of specialized dive teams, each with its own expertise. In the final phase of the grueling training, the aspiring divers are pushed to their limits. Only a few will reach the finish line. It takes nearly a year to prepare a naval ship for combat. HNLMS Tromp is getting ready for the final hurdle: the Fleet Operational Sea Training.

The North Sea is littered with unexploded bombs, mines, and torpedoes that pose a danger to fishing vessels in the area. The minehunter HNLMS Vlaardingen is deployed to detect and neutralize these explosives. This task is carried out by the divers of the Defence Diving Group, including the newly qualified navy diver Miranda.

The training to become a submarine commander is one of the toughest in the world. The commander often has to act alone and cannot rely on support from other ships. The helicopter crew aboard HNLMS Holland is nearing the end of their mission in the Caribbean. Thousands of kilos of drugs have been intercepted.

HNLMS Rotterdam can rapidly deploy large numbers of troops and equipment from sea to land. During the biennial NATO exercise Cold Response, there will be 24/7 training focused on landing marines. The final phase of the submarine commander training takes place in the Norwegian fjords, where a variety of wartime scenarios are simulated in a short period.