FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The 1st Space Brigade hosted senior leaders of the Netherlands’ armed forces at Fort Carson, Colorado, on March 18 to bolster the key NATO partnership in the space domain and demonstrate how space-based capabilities enable Army, joint and coalition forces.
The Dutch delegation included Lt. Gen. Jan Swillens, commander, Royal Netherlands Army; Lt. Gen. Andre Steur, commander, Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force; and Lt. Gen. Dick van Ingen, the Netherlands’ military representative to the NATO and European Union Military Committees. In addition to the 1st Space Brigade, the delegation visited U.S. Space Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, and the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.
Space is no longer a benign environment but a contested domain critical to modern warfare, and the combat credibility of the United States and its partners demands a strong focus on developing resilient space systems and counter-space capabilities to protect assets and deny adversaries access to space.
As such, the Netherlands is in the early stage of establishing its space force under its air force. In July 2025, the Royal Netherlands Air Force officially became the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force.
“Our visit shows that space operations play a major role in modern warfare, and the space domain is a shared domain of equal importance to all services,” Swillens said. “It’s teamwork."
The 1st Space Brigade has routinely engaged joint and allied forces for training and knowledge-sharing opportunities and exercises.
“We were honored to host our Dutch allies and demonstrate the systems and organizational structure that allow our Army space professionals to deliver close space support and integrate in multidomain operations,” Col. Michael Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Opportunities to expand interoperability and understanding with these partners are critical to ensuring readiness and effectiveness against current and future threats.”
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2026 16:49 |
| Story ID: | 561596 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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