Military training exercise in Gelderland villages next week: what residents need to know
Residents of Driel, Heteren, and Randwijk should prepare for a military exercise on 24 and 25 March. Soldiers will train for disaster response, including hazardous substance incidents, with efforts made to minimize disruption to daily life.
| Key Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Driel, Heteren, Randwijk (Gelderland) |
| Dates | 24 and 25 March 2026 |
| Units Involved | 11 Armoured Engineer Battalion, Unit 101 CBRN |
| Training Focus | Disaster safety, hazardous substance response, decontamination scenarios |
| Vehicles Used | Amarok vehicles |
| Routes | Along waterways (Nederrijn, Lake Veluwe), public roads, and paths |
| Inconvenience or Damage | Report via Ministry of Defence website |
| Live Ammunition | Not used |
The Ministry of Defence conducts regular military exercises to ensure readiness for disaster response and hazardous substance incidents. These exercises are part of their broader mandate to protect civilians and maintain national security, often involving coordination with local authorities.
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Read the full translated article below
Military exercise on 24 and 25 March
A military exercise will take place in the villages of Driel, Heteren and Randwijk on 24 and 25 March 2026.
Soldiers from the 11 Armoured Engineer Battalion and Unit 101 CBRN will be training in disaster safety and responding to incidents involving hazardous substances.
During the exercise, they will scout potential decontamination locations and prepare for scenarios that could occur in daily life, including in the vicinity of residents. The soldiers will be driving Amarok vehicles, mainly along waterways such as the Nederrijn and Lake Veluwe. They will be wearing combat uniforms and carrying weapons, but no live ammunition will be used.
The units will do everything possible to minimise any inconvenience and will use public roads and paths as much as possible. If you do experience any inconvenience or damage occurs, you can find information about this on the Ministry of Defence website.
We are informing you so that you can take this exercise into account.