Dutch military conducts training exercises in the Dutch Caribbean

The Royal Netherlands Army and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps are conducting intensive military training exercises in the Dutch Caribbean to enhance operational readiness.

In Curaçao, elements of the 43rd Mechanized Brigade and the 11th Air Mobile Brigade, alongside the 32nd Marine Infantry Company, have completed live-fire training at the Wacao Defense Training Area. These maneuvers focused on conventional combat capabilities, fire support, and anti-tank systems in a tropical environment. This training serves as preparation for upcoming NATO deployments in Lithuania.

Simultaneously, the annual ‘Caribbean Engineer’ exercise is underway, involving 184 soldiers from the 101st Engineer Battalion. In Curaçao, engineers are working on infrastructure projects at the Parera Naval Base, the Brakkeput Nautical Sports Association, and the Wacao training area, including the installation of solar panels. They are also performing maintenance at the Betesda elderly care center. In Aruba, engineering units are utilizing heavy machinery to optimize instruction facilities at the Savaneta Marine Infantry Barracks.