To ensure that Dutch and German air defenders can work together better, two generals from both countries signed a new agreement on Monday at the military base in Vredepeel.
Agreements are made in the agreement so that German and Dutch soldiers can soon be deployed side by side in a joint task force for NATO. The task force should actually be ready to be deployed at the beginning of next year.
To coordinate
According to deputy commander Patrick Wekking, it is mainly a matter of coordinating procedures. This can be done by making agreements and establishing a joint working method.
Cultural differences
“You just have cultural differences. What a German soldier in the field expects from his command post may be different from the expectations of Dutch soldiers. This is not only due to cultural differences, but also to a different way of acting in specific situations,” says Wekking.
There is also a language barrier. Germans receive orders in German, Dutch in Dutch. “You have to make sure that if that happens in English, everyone is also doing the right things.”
Not new
The cooperation between the two countries is not new. The signed agreement is a new step in a process that has been going on for much longer. Early next year there should be a joint task force in which German and Dutch air defenders can work side by side for NATO. They can then be deployed anywhere in the world as an intervention force.
Exercises
To test and practice the new method, various exercises are planned this week in North Limburg and Brabant.