The significant investments have provided defense with more weapons and more ammunition. These all need to be tested, but in a small country like the Netherlands, the defense department had to figure out where this should happen next.
At the end of November, the armed forces presented a list of suitable locations for more frequent and more intensive exercises. Today the outgoing cabinet officially agreed to those expansion plans.
Shooting at sea
Petten and the Breezanddijk (closing dike) in particular stand out. Defense will soon be allowed to shoot more and more often at both locations.
At the military training area near Petten, defense is also given permission to fire further into the North Sea. According to the armed forces, this is necessary because they have weapons at their disposal that can shoot further.
On the Breezanddijk, soldiers currently shoot towards the IJsselmeer for a maximum of sixty days a year, but in the future they will be given permission for ninety days. Previously, people staying there had already spoken out to be shocked of a ‘sudden’ exercise.
In Petten the number of shooting days increases from twenty to forty-five.