A few years ago, Drenthe politicians still had to fight for the preservation of and replacement employment for the Johan Willem Frisokazerne in Assen. Now there will not only be replacement employment and a partly new barracks function. As a result of the changing geopolitical situation, Defense is even looking for space, people and possible suppliers.
And the province of Drenthe is responding to this. The province has created the Drenthe Defense and Security Agenda for this purpose. A kind of catalog in jarring language that explains what our province can do for Defense or military-related industry. Drenthe still has enough space, it is good to work, live and live here and there is already a lot of industry that could do something for Defense.
The Provincial Executive sees many opportunities in logistics, support, healthcare and ground-based air defense. A large part of the Provincial Council would also like to see more Defense activities in Drenthe. With a few conditions.
In the Rundedal horticultural area, the province still sees enough room for XXL companies and large-scale defense-related industry or production. The site is located on the “A37, hydrogen main line and the Lower Saxony line”. Then the railway line will still have to be built.
If developments in the Rundedal continue, VVD faction leader Kees Vianen sees a smart opportunity to have Defense help pay for the complete doubling of the N34 between Emmen and De Punt. Army equipment and supplies must be able to reach the Eemshaven quickly and since the government may want to improve or build infrastructure with Defense money, Vianen sees this as an opportunity to have the entire road doubled. Something that the province itself does not have the money for. But his own VVD deputy Willemien Meeuwissen is not there yet. This must be coordinated with other provinces.
Drenthe’s logistics nodes are suitable for joint use, i.e. civil and military. The Euroterminal in Coevorden is ideally suited as a “strategic transport corridor” for all NATO ambitions. Defense has another site and storage buildings nearby.
According to the provincial government, there is also still enough room for Defense developments or Defense-related industry at currently disused locations or industrial estates to be redeveloped.
The JWF barracks must somehow become part of the Safety Campus. Northern MBO, HBO and WO courses from the University of Groningen, the Thorbecke Academy and MBO institutions in Assen have a “unique continuous learning path, focused on safety, preparedness and digital resilience. Together with Defense and possibly the Ministry of Justice and Security, the range of resilience training courses can be further expanded”, the provincial government believes. D66 is very much in favor of such a Safety Campus.
Despite the fact that Defense’s growing need for space may again have positive consequences for the JWF facility in the future, the provincial government wants to continue with the previously made agreements about reducing the military part of the site, civilian shared use and the housing of a government meeting center, a production kitchen for northern government services and the Safety Campus.
Expansion should also be possible for the Johannes Post Barracks in Havelte and GS sees joint use as an option for both barracks.
As far as the province is concerned, F35 fighter jets are not welcome at Groningen Airport Eelde. But for the rest, shared military use would be fine, according to the Provincial Executive, albeit “limited and demarcated”. This must involve the transport of people and goods and training and maintenance facilities. Low flight routes and drop zones must be “reconnoitered”.
The expansion of the De Haar training area near Assen must include shared or hybrid use by farmers. The BBB state faction’s condition for joint use: agricultural land remains agricultural land. JA21 is also positive about more Defense in Drenthe, but “also be honest about the disadvantages and nuisance. But do not dwell too long on NIMBY activities (not in my backyarded.) given the geopolitical situation. Defense must roll out the mat,” says parliamentarian Dick Van den Brand.
Bart van Dekken of the CDA does not like large-scale exercises by Defense. That will have to be in Germany or Poland. For the rest, Defense is more than welcome for expansion, more activities or supply companies.
Robotics, 3D printing, sensor technology, strong synthetic fibers for bulletproof vests, the Greenwise campus, circular plastics from Emmen, Fokker in Hoogeveen. An endless procession of Drenthe companies and what they can do together for Defense are included in the agenda.
Astronomical scientific research institute ASTRON “has considerable dual-use potential for Defense,” the provincial government writes. According to GS, ASTRON is already working on projects that are relevant to national security. Chief astronomer Michiel Brentjes of ASTRON would like to explain and delineate this: “We have been working with Defense for a long time, but what we do for them is always a derivative or by-catch of what we need or research independently.”
“A good example is our research into solar flares. We are affected by these solar flares in our research, but so is Defense. Solar flares can disrupt radar and satellite systems, without Defense being able to see whether the sun is the cause or whether it is an electronic attack. With our LOFAR telescope we can better predict solar eruptions, so we both benefit from that.”
According to Brentjes, what ASTRON does for Defense is always very close to ASTRON’s own research. “We are not a Defense contractor and we cannot and do not want to become involved in military operations.”
Linking opportunities, duo-use, smart industries. Drenthe provincial officials are given the opportunity to become reservists in Defense. The Drenthe Defense and Security Agenda reads like a brochure for the new BMW 7-series. According to the ministry, Drenthe is an example for other provinces of how this is tackled, says deputy Meeuwissen.
VVD faction leader Kees Vianen and D66 and CU colleagues Anry Kleine Deters and Bernadette van den Berg-Slachter would like to know from deputy Willemien Meeuwissen about which matters the province is already having concrete discussions about. But “we would like to explore the actual needs of Defense and its feasibility in Drenthe together with Defense”, write the Provincial Executive. Meeuwissen doesn’t know anything about new space claims yet, but she promises to stay on top of them. And she is discussing compensation for the expansion of De Haar.