On 14 July, the Royal Netherlands Air Force has received two more F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters at Leeuwarden Air Base, with some delay.
New fighters were delivered to the Netherlands with delay due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy, where the aircraft were built.
According to the Scramble Magazine, the new F-35 fighters with serials F-011 and F-012 arrived on Tuesday with radio call sign Netherlands Air Force 322. Leeuwarden now hosts four F-35As.
The Dutch Parliament approved an order for eight Lockheed Martin F-35As in March 2015, confirming the aircraft as the official replacement for the F-16 for the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
In May 2016, the F-35 landed on Dutch soil for the first time, showing the nation their new 5th Gen fighters. While in the Netherlands, the F-35 performed several “experience flights” to allow the Dutch public to evaluate the difference between the F-35 and legacy fighters, the F-16, noise levels. The test results showed negligible differences between the noise levels of these two aircraft.
The F-35 is highly interoperable and functions as the center for sharing information across military forces. With the ability to integrate into existing systems, the Netherlands continues to be a valued partner and contributor to global security.