At the Ossesluis, near De Wijk, Veeningen, Echten and Koekange in the municipality of De Wolden, a large military exercise will take place on 4 and 5 November.
It concerns part of the international exercise Falcon Autumn 2022: the annual exercise of 11 Airmobile Brigade. Training takes place in various places: around Drachten, on the Veluwe, near Katwijk and in De Wolden.
As real as possible
Defense ‘practices as real as possible to be prepared for unexpected situations at home and abroad’, writes the municipality of De Wolden. ‘During the exercise, the readiness of the unit is tested.’
Intake bridge
In De Wolden, the taking of a bridge/lock is practiced from Friday, November 4, 11 am to Saturday, November 5, 10 am. The total exercise is commanded by the military staff of 11 Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army.
Audible shots
On Friday, November 4, soldiers will come to De Wolden via the public road in Fenneks. The Fennek is an armored vehicle of the royal army that is used for reconnaissance of the environment. The route goes from the Oranjekazerne in Schaarsbergen over the A50 and A28 towards De Wolden, exit 24 de Wijk.
About 250 soldiers are dropped off in the exercise area by 24 Dutch and American helicopters. The military uses practice ammunition. That means you can hear shots, but loose cartridges are used that don’t hit the target. In addition, training is also done with the MCTC system (mobile combat training center). This allows different combat situations to be realistically simulated using lasers and sensors. Soldiers wear sensors on the helmet and vest. This system produces no sound.
Farms in Area
The soldiers are present in the exercise area for approximately 24 hours. Roads around the area are temporarily closed. A soldier is present at every cordon who can explain why the road has been temporarily closed. There are a number of farms in the practice area. Defense has made agreements with the owners about the landing of the helicopters and the use of the terrain.