🇳🇱Drenthe — Havelte

Havelte-West

Updated: August 10, 2026

The Havelte-West training area lies in south-west Drenthe, right next to the Johannes Post Barracks — home of the 43rd Mechanised Brigade. The terrain consists of heathland and pine forest, criss-crossed by sand tracks where tracked and wheeled vehicles train daily. On its edge lies the Havelterberg, with its famous megalithic tombs as neighbouring landmarks.

With the brigade literally next door, Havelte-West is one of the most intensively used training areas of the Royal Netherlands Army: from CV90 driver training to company-level exercises on foot. The alternation of open heath and dense forest plots demands tight coordinate work — positions are passed in MGRS here. On this page you can see the MGRS zone, terrain features and an interactive map and 3D view of the area.

On the map

Havelte-WestOpen in MilMap
MILMAP

MilMap on this ground

On Havelte-West, open heath and forest alternate quickly. With MilMap you lay out rally and checkpoints in MGRS beforehand and follow sections live on the map during exercises. The terrain layer reveals the subtle ridges near the Havelterberg — useful when choosing observation posts.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Havelte-West training area?

Havelte-West is in south-west Drenthe near the village of Havelte, right next to the Johannes Post Barracks of the 43rd Mechanised Brigade.

Which MGRS zone covers Havelte-West?

Havelte-West sits on the UTM grid zone 31U/32U boundary; the exact MGRS coordinate of the centre point is shown at the top of this page.

Is Havelte-West accessible?

Parts are open to walkers outside of exercises, but red flags and signage always take precedence. The barracks grounds themselves are closed.