DRAS-RT Soil, Carrying Capacity on the Battlefield
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sharpened the strategic focus of Dutch and European defense. Understanding soil carrying capacity is important for military mobility, especially for heavy vehicles like tanks. Current soil assessments are mostly manual, slow and error-prone.
Objective
This project develops an innovative system that predicts soil strength in semi-real time using geospatial and weather data. It will be tested in the Netherlands and later adapted for use in Lithuania, where the Netherlands contributes to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. Lithuania’s challenging conditions, such as a long muddy season, make the research relevant for the Netherlands and for NATO.
DRAS-RT stands for Carrying Capacity Analysis of the Battlefield in (near) Real-Time (in Dutch).
Results
Together with the Ministry of Defense, Saxion, HAS and Fugro we are going to develop a rudimental model for predict the carrying capacity of soil. Alongside the model we are going to develop a roadmap for improving the model and applying it to other geographical contexts.
Duration
01 September 2025 - 31 August 2026
Approach
The model and the roadmap are being developed by researchers in collaboration with students, with contributions from Fugro in the field of soil expertise. In situ measurements by the Ministry of Defense contribute to the validation of the model.
HU researchers involved in the research
Collaboration with knowledge partners
