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| Admiral Benelux | |
|---|---|
 Standard of the ABNL | |
.jpg) | |
 Royal Netherlands Navy Belgian Navy | |
| Abbreviation | ABNL |
| Formation | 1 January 1996 |
| First holder | G.G. Hooft |
| Deputy | Commander of the Belgian Naval Component |
The Admiral Benelux (ABNL) is the Commanding Officer of the combined military staff of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Naval Component of the Belgian Armed Forces.[1]
The position of ABNL was created together with the combination of the Staffs of the two contributing navies on March 28, 1995, in the BeNeSam Accord. The ABNL is responsible for the combined operations of the Dutch and Belgian navies and can be tasked with the responsibility for the operational readiness and deployment of the combined fleets in joint operations, both in war- and peacetime operations. Most of all the ABNL is responsible for the efficient use of joint material and personnel and oversees the joint training programs of the two navies.[2]
The Commander is Vice Admiral René Tas who is also serving as the Commander of the Naval Forces.[3]
- ^ Samenwerking met België Archived October 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine — description of the international cooperation efforts of the Belgian and Dutch navies on the website of the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
- ^ Admiraal BeNeLux - Organisatie — organizational structure of the ABNL command, from the website of the Belgian Navy.
- ^ Karremann, Jaime. "Marine krijgt nieuwe commandant: René Tas". Marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 2021-09-06.