Vice Admiral Harold Liebregs was appointed Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Admiral Benelux on 18 September. At the naval base in Den Helder, he took over command from his fellow vice admiral René Tas. Before his departure, Tas made some striking remarks.
He warned of leaders such as Putin and Xi, who ‘will not wait for us’. In his view, NATO’s decision to raise its defence spending guideline to five per cent of GDP is long overdue. ‘The key now is not to lapse back into a winter sleep, but to take the threat seriously.’ According to him, this requires effort from all of society, not just the armed forces.
Tas sketched a picture of permanent unrest that Defence must prepare for: a continuous hybrid threat and persistent risks in the global commons – cyber, space, and on the seas and in the skies beyond territorial borders.
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Ready if deterrence fails
Liebregs also underlined that war can no longer be dismissed as unthinkable and that the navy must already be prepared to provide credible deterrence. ‘But also to act if deterrence fails. Then we have no choice but to resolve the conflict in our favour. In short: we must think in terms of threats. How will we counter them? That is what we will carry out and practise. Always ready. The Netherlands can count on us.’
Chief of Defence (CDS) General Onno Eichelsheim praised Tas, noting that he had transformed the navy into an organisation prepared for large-scale conflict. ‘Under your leadership, the fleet was once again deployed at sea, and marines were active worldwide. You opened the door to innovation. Unmanned systems, drones on and under the water – you understood this is the future.’
Also read: Dutch navy presents future vision on drones
Bridge builder
Eichelsheim also paid tribute to Tas personally. He described him as genuinely interested in everyone, ‘whether king or sailor. Everyone knew your door was always open.’ The CDS called him a bridge-builder, both within and beyond Defence: ‘You managed to connect the maritime sector – from ports to knowledge institutes, from industry to international partners.’
On behalf of Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans, the CDS presented Tas with the Decoration of Merit in Gold, underscoring his exceptional service to the armed forces.
In keeping with tradition, the former Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy left the stage in Den Helder in a small boat, rowed out to sea.
Picture (top): Harold Liebregs: ‘We must think in terms of threats’ (photo by the Dutch Ministry of Defence).
Also read: Tas becomes new Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy
