With drones and neural networks. The Netherlands tests a camp for 2000 Russian prisoners of war in case of war
For the first time in more than 30 years, the Dutch army is practicing the creation of a prisoner-of-war camp. This week, a camp project that could accommodate up to 2000 servicemen in case of war is being tested at the Marnewaard training ground in Groningen province. The exercises are related to preparations for a possible conflict with Russia, writes The Moscow Times.
Photo: ad.nl
The camp itself can be deployed within a week. Not only military personnel but also civilian contractors, who usually build infrastructure for major music festivals, are planned to be involved in the construction of such facilities.
It will not resemble traditional prisoner-of-war camps of the past with numerous watchtowers and searchlights. Security will be provided by modern surveillance systems. Cameras will be able to react to movement and sound, and drones will fly over the territory, transmitting video in real-time.
Prisoners of war are planned to be housed in small white barracks with bunk beds.
Officers and enlisted personnel will live together, no more than 20 people in one room. They will be provided with walking areas, shared showers, a canteen, and a first-aid post. Mobile phones and personal electronic devices will be confiscated, but they will be allowed to write letters to relatives.
“They can count on living conditions at least no worse than those of our own servicemen,” stated General and Commander of the Operational Support Command of the Royal Netherlands Army, Nicole de Wolf.
The last time similar exercises were conducted was during the Cold War. According to de Wolf, in recent decades, the army has practically lost experience in detaining thousands of prisoners. During missions in Afghanistan, Dutch servicemen had to detain only two or three individuals, who could be held at military bases.
“When you have disarmed the enemy, you want to remove them as quickly as possible from the front line,” says de Wolf. Captured servicemen will be transported hundreds of kilometers to the rear. There they will be registered, interrogated, and held until a possible exchange for captured Dutch personnel.
The military says that humane treatment of prisoners is dictated not only by the requirements of international law. “Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself,” says de Wolf.
According to her, the Netherlands expects that if their servicemen are captured, they will also be treated humanely.
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