FIRST OPERATIONAL AIRCRAFT ARRIVES AT LEEUWARDEN
THE FIRST OPERATIONAL F-35A Lightning II for the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) arrived at Leeuwarden in the Netherlands on October 31. Serial F-009 is the first Italian-built F-35A for the KLu — completed at the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in Cameri — as well as being the first operational aircraft to arrive at Leeuwarden for permanent stay.
On July 17, 2002 the Dutch government became a partner in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program (JSF). Following political rigmarole, it was decided on July 5, 2012 that the F-35 was indeed the right choice and just one month later, on August 20, the first Dutch F-35A (serial F-001, construction number AN-1) made its maiden flight from Fort Worth, Texas. The initial pair of Dutch jets joined the operational test team at Edwards AFB, California. On November 6, 2014 the KLu established its first squadron; 323 Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) at Edwards.
The 308th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona, is responsible for training Dutch F-35 pilots and has received aircraft from the production facility at Fort Worth, Texas, and Cameri. Dutch F-35s have visited the country o…
