Overboard for Mission

Credit where due...

Despite topside attire that appears to emphasize mission stealth over personal safety, the Dutch Ministry of Defense credits the Royal Netherlands Navy submarine Hr. Ms. Dolfijn with helping foil attempts by Somali pirates to hijack merchant ships and for freeing 12 hostages.

This is not the only apparent contrast with the U.S. submarine force since 1961. Did Dutch submarines on 90-day deployments to counter Somalian piracy eavesdropping have any female crew? ANSWER: No, the Royal Netherlands Navy prohibits women from serving on submarines, and according to the British MoD differences in sheer physical strength between men and women mean that only 0.1% of female applicants, and 1% of trained women soldiers, could meet the lifting, carrying, load marching and combat requirements that are the bread and butter of British infantry life. In addition to international orange, green or blue life vests, something else Dutch aparently has never came to pass.

Submarines are always silent and strange.