Exercise Interdict sees first JDEAL deployment

The Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory’s (JDEAL) light deployable capabilities were used during Exercise Interdict at the National Training Centre of San Gregorio, Zaragoza, Spain, the European Defence Agency (EDA) announced on 4 July.

Twelve experts from Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium were deployed to Zaragoza with the Laboratory. Several technical functionalities were tested during the exercise including media, documentary and cell exploitation, command and control, triage of improvised explosive devices and forensic analysis.

The JDEAL’s Spanish deputy commander, Maj Victor Mariño, said that the facility successfully completed its first test, and stressed that this was its first deployment of both laboratory equipment and multinational personnel. In one instance during the exercise, JDEAL processed materiel artefacts and traces extracted from 20 simulated IED events.

The capabilities were developed by 13 participating nations under the EDA. The Netherlands was the lead nation for the development, and the other contributing member states included France, Italy and Belgium. The JDEAL will be deployed again in Exercise Bison Counter in Sweden.