Page 14 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

[NEWS]

This image: On arrival at Leeuwarden
F-009 was greeted by the fi re
department, which doused it in
foam instead of water as it laid on a
traditional welcome. Gert Kromhout
Inset: Lt Col Ian Knight in the cockpit
of F-009 after arriving at Leeuwarden.
Stephan De Bruijn

DUTCH F-35 COMES HOME

FIRST OPERATIONAL AIRCRAFT ARRIVES AT LEEUWARDEN

HE FIRST OPERATIONAL (JSF). Following political rigmarole, it received aircraft from the production expected at Volkel Air Base, ahead of
F-35A Lightning II for the was decided on July 5, 2012 that the facility at Fort Worth, Texas, and Full Operational Capability in 2024.
Koninklijke Luchtmacht F-35 was indeed the right choice and Cameri. Dutch F-35s have visited the Stephan de Bruijn
(KLu, Royal Netherlands just one month later, on August 20, country on two occasions from the
Air Force) arrived at the rst Dutch F-35A (serial F-001, US, but the arrival of F-009 is a major
TLeeuwarden in the construction number AN-1) made its landmark. Following checks by
Netherlands on October 31. Serial maiden ight from Fort Worth, Texas. the Defensie Materieel Organisatie
F-009 is the rst Italian-built F-35A The initial pair of Dutch jets joined (DMO, Defense Materiel Command)
for the KLu — completed at the Final the operational test team at Edwards the aircraft will be handed over
Assembly and Check Out (FACO) AFB, California. On November 6, to the KLu and assigned to 322
facility in Cameri — as well as being 2014 the KLu established its rst Squadron ‘Polly Grey’. A second
the rst operational aircraft to arrive squadron; 323 Test and Evaluation aircraft was expected in December. It
at Leeuwarden for permanent stay. Squadron (TES) at Edwards. is anticipated that 322 Squadron will
On July 17, 2002 the Dutch The 308th Fighter Squadron at reach Initial Operational Capability
government became a partner in Luke AFB, Arizona, is responsible for (IOC) in the fourth quarter of 2021.
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program training Dutch F-35 pilots and has In June 2022, the rst F-35A is

FINAL LUFTWAFFE EUROFIGHTER

THE LAST EUROFIGHTER currently its early Tranche 1 examples under
on contract for the German a project named ‘Quadriga’. This
Luftwa e made its maiden ight includes 26 single-seat and seven
on October 28 at Manching. two-seat aircraft, plus options on
Serial 31+53 (GS113) is the last of ve more single-seaters. Typhoons
30 Tranche 3A jets for Germany. are also being considered to
The Luftwa e looks set to order replace the Luftwa e’s remaining
additional Euro ghters to replace Tornados.
SMART ‘WIZARD’

A welcome splash of color adorns this Boeing EA-18G Growler of
VAQ-133 ‘Wizards’ (BuNo 168376) that was detached to NAS Fallon, The Luftwaffe’s last Tranche
Nevada, in late October to participate in the US Navy’s Airborne 3A jet gets airborne from
Electronic Attack Weapons School HAVOC class. Jamie Hunter Manching. Dr Andreas Zeitler

14 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

22/11/2019 13:18
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