Keeping our Oldest Ally Armed

The Netherlands has bought or approved $5.1 billion in U.S. arms sales and licenses since 1993. According to the State Department, "The United States' partnership with the Netherlands is its oldest continuous relationship and dates back to the American revolution." The U.S. and Holland often take similar positions on international issues and work together on security.

U.S. arms sales in the Clinton years Direct government sales Government-approved sales (scale in millions of dollars)

Significant Dutch arms purchases from the U.S. include 37 helicopters from 1993 to 1997 (the Boeing/McDonnell Douglas Longbow, the Boeing Chinook, and the Schweizer). In addition, the Dutch have bought 200 air-to-air missiles and missile systems (AMRAAM and ShAM). In early 1995 the Netherlands also purchased $950 million worth of Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, snapping up the occasional Lockheed Martin F-16 as well.

--Monica Mehta

Flags courtesy of World Flag Database