The Dutch parliament has backed the Netherlands extending air strikes against Islamic State into Syria. Like the United Kingdom, the country was previously only participating in air strikes in Iraq.

On the 24th September last year, the Dutch government decided to send F-16’s to contribute to the international effort in Iraq. Dutch forces have been operating from Shaheed Mwaffaq Air Base in Jordan. It is estimated that Dutch F-16’s conduct one or two sorties per day. Dutch Chief of Defence General Tom Middendorp said that these airstrikes have “contributed to the halting of the ISIL advance.”

The Netherlands currently has eight F-16’s, 250 supporting troops and 130 military trainers in Iraq with two Patriot missile batteries and 200 supporting troops in Turkey as part of the fight against Islamic State.

This action however may not be affordable for the Netherlands, according to NLTimes, shortly after the mission in Iraq was launched last year, Dutch minister Hans ten Broeke stated that there was no money available in the defence budget for the mission and that the money was taken from budgets intended for 2017 and 2019.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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