The F-35A (pictured) has now taken on all the roles of the F-16 in RNLAF service. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has declared its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to be fully operational, at the same time as retiring from service the last of its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The two events happened simultaneously on 26 September, with the RNLAF announcing that the F-35A had now taken over all of the roles of the F-16AM/BM Block 15 Mid-Life Update (MLU) jets.
“Whether it is surveillance of the [Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg] Benelux airspace, carrying out operations to contain terrorism, for example, or to contribute to NATO's nuclear deterrent, the F-35 can do it all. As of today, this type of fighter aircraft is officially fully operational under all circumstances. In jargon, it has full operational capability (FOC) status,” the RNLAF said.
The day prior, Commander 312 Squadron (F-16) at Volkel Air Base Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Vreeburg announced, “Tomorrow [26 September] will be the last operational F-16 flight of the RNLAF. We plan to fly around the country to say goodbye.”
The first F-35A arrived in the Netherlands on 31 October 2019, with the type flown across two squadrons based at Leeuwarden Air Base (322 Squadron) and Volkel Air Base (313 Squadron). The RNLAF now has 40 of the 52 already ordered, with a further six to be contracted in the coming months.
Having begun the drawdown of its F-16 fleet some months prior, the Netherlands has already donated 18 jets to the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania and has pledged a further 24 to the Ukrainian Air Force.
For more information on the RNLAF F-35 fleet, please see
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