Realistically, who will the Dutch Air Force ever go to war with? Like ever? They need a few rescue aircraft and helos and little else.
The justification for NATO has its roots, of course, in WW2. Europe fell because the Germans and Soviets were able to take down much of the incipient “western” alliance separately, through political pressure and war. This, in spite of the latent strength of all the countries opposed to Germany.
The Netherlands for instance was not just unprepared for a European war, but it’s defense was compromised by the failure of its defense lines as it was disconnected from its would-be allies in May 1940. And they had no “strategic depth”. The Belgians failed, in part, because they actively refused to cooperate with the French and British pre-war.
And so on for the Danes, Norwegians, Czechs, Poles, Romanians, Yugoslavs, Greeks, etc.
Stand together or fall separately.
Lessons learned.