Future Challenges of the Netherlands Navy in NATO

Admiral Boorsboom

On June 19, the Atlantic Council hosted Vice Admiral Matthieu Borsboom, commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy, for a roundtable discussion on the future challenges of the Netherlands Navy in a NATO/European context.

Vice Admiral Matthieu Borsboom visited the United States just weeks after the NATO May 2012 Chicago summit, where “Smart Defense” and the need to deepen multinational defense collaboration to maximize the use of scarce defense resources was a focal point. With the Netherlands being a leader in Europe in the field of multinational cooperation, Vice Admiral Borsboom shared the Dutch experience of cooperation already underway with neighboring nations.

Vice Admiral Borsboom was appointed commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy on January 2010. Previously, he served as deputy chief of staff stability at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. He has also held various posts at the Netherlands Ministry of Defense, including director of Operational Policy, Requirements and Plans and chairman of the Network-Enabled Capabilities board.