Netherlands Mine Clearance Personnel in Training

Over four intensive weeks this autumn, a Netherlands mine clearance team has been undergoing training with Swedens Gta Engineers Ing 2 demining platoon in Eksj. The focus of the training includes mine clearance in different types of terrain using the Scanjack mechanical mine clearing system.>> The manning situation in the Netherlands Army fieldwork units has led to a decrease in personnel numbers and a temporary competence shortfall in the area of mechanical mine clearance. Since this is a costly system, it is essential that this competence shortfall should be corrected as quickly as possible, something that can be achieved with support from the Swedish Army Field Work Schools demining unit.>> Swedish training support>> The Netherlands Armed Forces are well aware of the competence in this field that exists in Sweden, both in the area of training and in international operations. Notable examples include the action in Bosnia in the summer of 2007 in which a mechanical demining platoon spent four months clearing mines in very rugged terrain with excellent results. Around 500,000 square metres were cleared. With this in view, the Netherlands therefore contacted the Swedish Armed Forces seeking support for their training in the use of the Scanjack deep mine clearing vehicle. The Netherlands group consists of four soldiers (operators), a group leader and a platoon commander. The group has brought its own Scanjack which is very similar to the machine used by the Swedish demining unit.