Dutch Air Force bids farewell to F-16 fighter jet after 45 years of service

The Royal Netherlands Air Force will officially retire its F-16 fighter jets after 45 years of service.  

To mark the occasion, the last of these aircraft will embark on a farewell flight over the Netherlands on September 27, 2024, taking off from Volkel Air Base at 13:30 local time and flying a route that will honor key locations where the F-16s have been most active. 

The farewell formation of multiple F-16s will pass over the following locations: 

Volkel (departure point) 

De Peel 

Twente 

Leeuwarden 

Vlieland 

Air Operations Control Station Nieuw Milligen 

Soesterberg 

Den Haag 

Woensdrecht 

Breda 

Gilze-Rijen 

Eindhoven 

Volkel (end of flight) 

The route of the F-16s final flight (Credit: Dutch Ministry of Defence)

The Dutch Ministry of Defence warned that this route may change depending on weather or other factors. The official farewell ceremony will be held at Volkel Air Base after the flight. 

The future of the Royal Netherlands Air Force fighter fleet 

The Dutch Air Force has flown the F-16A/B Block 20 MLU (MidLife Update) variants in its final years of operation. These aircraft, upgraded between 2003 and 2005, boast enhancements that brought them in line with modern combat requirements.  

The MLU variant comes with a Head-Up Display (HUD) that is compatible with night operations, as well as a GPS receiver.  

It is equipped with a Westinghouse (now Northrop Grumman) AN/APG-66 fire control radar, enabling it to deploy and launch six AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, with an effective range of 150 kilometers (95 miles). It is capable of releasing precision-guided bombs like the GBU-24 Paveway III and the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM).  

Additionally, this version of the fighter aircraft has the ability to carry Sniper and Litening targeting pods. 

With a total fleet of 42 F-16s, the Netherlands’ air force has relied on these jets for a range of missions, from air defense to ground attacks. Over the years, they played a critical role in NATO operations, peacekeeping missions, and national air defense. 

As the F-16 is retired, the Netherlands is moving forward with the F-35 Lightning II as its next-generation fighter. Dutch F-35s took over Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties from their F-16 counterparts on March 29, 2024. 

The Netherlands has pledged to donate 24 of its F-16s to Ukraine. The first batch of jets was delivered in late July 2024, and some of these fighters have already been deployed in Ukraine’s defense against Russian airstrikes. The post Dutch Air Force bids farewell to F-16 fighter jet after 45 years of service appeared first on AeroTime.

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