End of the evacuation exercise (NEO) in the Netherlands

(B2) ... A conflict arises inside Den Helder - fictitious country but real region in the Netherlands. Neighboring countries or other countries have not planned any interventions, but are ready to support Belgium by functioning as a base of operations for the troops who must carry out the NEO mission (*). 160 people, mainly family members of Belgian soldiers and Dutch students, must therefore be evacuated as quickly as possible... Here is the (fictitious) scenario which served as the basis for the intervention of nearly 1200 soldiers, Belgians and Dutch, during the "Crazy Trip" exercise which has just ended, in the north of the Netherlands around Leeuwarden and Den Helder. The opportunity for the Belgian soldiers, above all, of the four components (land, air, navy, medical) to put their knowledge into practice. On the menu: amphibious landing, assault landing, parachuting of personnel and equipment and medical evacuation.

Medevac © Sophie Petijean

An exercise that is not theory. The exercise which has just ended (it took place from 7 to 15 May) enabled the Belgian soldiers to improve their devices. " It is a very Belgian-Belgian operation. We want to be sure that if necessary, we can evacuate an area alone, explained the Belgian Lieutenant Erik Eenaerts. But in absolute terms, this could undoubtedly lead to cooperation with the European Union or even with NATO.. But with the approach of the Belgian presidency of the Union (in 2010), this exercise is also not useless at the political level. He comes to remind that if the 27 could not agree last December on the advisability of a European concept of evacuation of the citizens established in a third country, the question remains topical. Simply because the risk remains.
Just remember three recent examples...

Three major evacuations in almost a year. In Chad, in February 2007, after the rebel attack on N'Djamena, an operational military presence (with patrols and ground evacuation means) was required (and this is only because one country - France in l occurrence - had troops prepositioned in the country, and controlled the airport, that the situation was controllable and did not get out of hand). In Georgia, in August 2008, during the conflict with Russia, military means were required
but only as a logistical support element for the evacuation (as well as intelligence); but each country has, more or less, carried out its evacuation operations in isolation. What wasn't
not very effective (the French were repatriated by plane while the Germans or Dutch went through longer land routes). As for the example of Bombay, in November 2007,
the presence of the military was not necessary either from a security point of view (Indian forces were enough) or from a logistical point of view (civilian planes could land) but
the absence of European coordination was patent, a "real souk" even denounced some MEPs. Read
the bombay lesson.

Comments : If we can therefore understand the reluctance of certain States to develop a new system replacing the national systems, we do however have difficulties in
understand how coordinating means would not be beneficial, both in terms of efficiency (speed of intervention), economy and service provided to citizens.

(*)A NEO is a military operation to evacuate citizens (nationals, Europeans or third countries) under threat to a zone without
risk in anticipation of eventual repatriation.

(Belgian army source)