Netherlands takes delivery of JDEAL

The Netherlands has taken delivery of the new Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory (JDEAL) in Soesterberg, it was announced on 24 February. The lab - a critical tool in the fight against the persistent IED threat - is now ready to deploy in counter-IED operations on the request of the JDEAL contributing members.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) financed the JDEAL, with Netherlands as the lead nation. 

JDEAL uses knowledge and equipment gained from the EDA-developed counter-IED technical exploitation laboratory previously deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The work of the laboratory covers the entire spectrum of technical IED exploitation. These include chemical analysis; document and media recovery (focused on mobile phones often used as IED triggering devices); electrical circuitry (primarily radio parts); biometric analysis (latent finger print recovery); technical exploitation reporting; detailed visual examination and high quality image capture; mechanical exploitation as well as other materiel exploitation.

Geert-Jan Verkoeijen, manager, Soesterberg, JDEAL, said: ‘JDEAL has proven to be a good example for how cooperation between European nations can be arranged. The gained experience so far shows that it takes time to change, adapt current approaches, doctrines and even processes on (C-IED) technical exploitation.’