Col. Ton Bijl, RNLAF, chief, Communications and Information Systems (CIS) Department and chapter board member, briefed on the new Netherlands Air Force Command. He discussed the aircraft and weapon systems, operating locations, current deployments of RNLAF detachments and operational challenges. Cdre. Toin Vergroesen, RNLN, continued with a briefing on the Defense Helicopter Command (DHC), an interservice command commissioned by the Netherlands Ministry of Defense comprising the tactical helicopter group, the naval helicopter base and the search and rescue unit. The DHC will be formally established in 2008 as part of the Air Force Command and will initially operate from three locations (Soesterberg, Gilze Rijen and Den Helder), to be later integrated into a single command. Also at the meeting, Cdre. Ruud Petterson, project leader for the NATO Helicopter Project for the 90s (NH-90) discussed the project. He described aircraft capabilities, CIS-related systems and the role of industry, as well as the Netherlands' order of 20 NATO frigate helicopters, expected for delivery in 2008.

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