Second NATO/SIBCA Exercise on Sampling of Chemical Warfare Agents.

Abstract : In order to practise the sampling of chemical warfare agents under realistic conditions, the Netherlands participated successfully in the second NATO/SIBCA sampling exercise conducted in Poland on 1-3 September 1998 within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace' program. The Netherlands' team consisted of a combination of military personnel from the NBC School of the Royal Netherlands Army and employees of the TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory (TNO-PML). The exercise involved the taking of four different kinds of samples (air, water, soil and materials) under NBC conditions thus including personal protection, detection, decontamination and reporting. During the exercise the activities were judged by umpires based on an extended checklist. The exercise was carried out with a simulant (triethyl phosphate) followed by the chemical warfare agent sulphur mustard gas.