THE HAGUE, 18/10/03 - The Christian democratic (CDA) and conservative (VVD) government parties are worried about the top structure of the armed forces. They question the plan of Defence Minister Henk Kamp (VVD) to place their three traditional components under a single commander.

The distance between the chief of the defence staff and the army, navy and air force would become too great if the three forces lose their own commanders, CDA and VVD will argue on Monday during a meeting in the Lower House. Kamp believes the plan would achieve better integration between the three arms.

CDA MP Roland Kortenhorst fears that the balance between the three armed forces and the politico-civil service apparatus would be tilted. He may back VVD MP Hans van Baalen, who will urge the appointment of three deputy defence staff chiefs, one from each arm.

The CDA and VVD are also unhappy about the planned reorganization of the navy. Kortenhorst is calling on the minister to divest two extra frigates and to swap these for four smaller vessels that can operate particularly well in coastal waters. Threats no longer come from the deep sea, but more likely, from terrorist-hued attacks from coastal waters, in his view.

The Labour (PvdA) opposition party will urge the scaling down of Dutch participation in the further development of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The Netherlands is currently participating in a Level 2 partnership, for which the government must cough up a total of 800 million dollars in the coming years. PvdA MP Timmermans is envisaging a Level 3 partnership. This would require less money, but Dutch industry would also have less chances of winning American orders, and The Hague could exercise little influence any more on the final design. The PvdA plan appears to have little chances of success.

The VVD considers it important that the cabinet orders the JSF as successor to the F-16 during the present administration to 2007. If this happens, the party will have no problem if the total number of Dutch fighters goes down, according to Van Baalen. The advanced US fighter aircraft will be available from 2010.

A broad parliamentary majority including at least the CDA and VVD as well as the PvdA will call on Kamp to place the approximately 5,000 to 6,000 military threatened with forced redundancies by the upcoming pruning operation with the police and fire brigade among others. Supported by the CDA, both the VVD and PvdA will make a "tough point" of arguing for substantial numbers and not just a handful of soldiers being placed with the police, to increase safety on the street.