F-35A finally supplants Netherlands F-16s
October 3, 2024
On 26 September the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) declared ‘Full Operational Clearance’ (FOC) for its Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fleet, on the same day that it formally retired the last of its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The RNLAF announced that the F-35A had now taken over all of the F-16’s roles, including nuclear strike.
The Netherlands ordered 52 F-35As to equip No.322 Squadron at Leeuwarden and No.s 313 and 312 Squadrons at Volkel, though the first eight went to the 308th FS at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, for US-based conversion training.
No. 322 Squadron at Leeuwarden received its first F-35A Lightning II on 31 October 2019, and the squadron attained Initial Operation Capability (IOC) on 27 December 2021. The squadron reached its full complement of 15 aircraft on 12 January 2022. No.312 Squadron at Volkel Air Base received its first F-35A on June 30th 2022.
The first Dutch F-35 made its maiden flight at Fort Worth, Texas, in 2012, and the first official flight by a Dutch pilot in a Dutch F-35 was made on 18 December 2013.
The F-35 made its public debut on Dutch soil for environmental testing in 2016, and the Dutch training squadron stood up at Luke AFB in 2018. The first aircraft arrival at Leeuwarden Air Base in 2019.
The Netherlands began flying their new F–35s for NATO Air Policing over the BENELUX States on 25 January 2024, taking over responsibility for QRA the following month. The F-35A took over the DCA task (Dual Capable Aircraft – eg nuclear strike) at the end of May 2024.
The Netherlands bought a total of 213 F-16s, many of which were assembled locally by Fokker. The type entered service in June 1979, serving with nine squadrons at five air bases. Post Cold War cuts reduced the force, and just 138 of the aircraft underwent the Mid-Life Update (MLU), 32 fewer than originally planned. The Dutch fleet was reduced by a further 25 % in 2003, just as the MLU was completed.
Some 29 surplus F-16As and seven F16Bs were sold to Chile, and six F-16Bs to Jordan.
The last F-16s left Leeuwarden Air Base in July 2021, and by August 2024, just 42 aircraft remained at Volkel. Some 14 of 18 aircraft promised to the European F-16 Training Centre are now at Fetesti, in Eastern Romania, where they will be used to train Romanian fighter pilots, and also Ukrainian pilots. Two more will be delivered soon.
It is reported that 24 more of the remaining aircraft are being sent to Ukraine for use in the fight against the Russian invader.
The RNLAF held a “Farewell Falcon” ceremony for the F-16 at the final operational base, Volkel, in the south of the Netherlands on 26 September. From here, eight of the last Dutch F-16s (accompanied by one Belgian aircraft) took off for a farewell flight, taking them over key locations associated with the Viper’s long career in the countr
