Netherlands to hold F-16 farewell ceremony

The Dutch Air Force will hold a farewell ceremony for its last F-16 fighter jets before fully transitioning to a new generation of aircraft, the country's Defence Ministry has announced.

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During the ceremony, the last few F-16s will make a farewell flight over the Netherlands, taking off from Volkel Air Base. This farewell tour will mark 45 years of continuous F-16 service.

At one time, the Royal Netherlands Air Force acquired a significant number of American aircraft - 213 F-16A/Bs in total. Later, due to the overall reduction of the fleet, the number was reduced to 68 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft.

As of 2022, 29 F-16 combat fighters remained in service. At the same time, the Dutch Air Force is switching to modern American F-35 fighters. To date, they have already ordered 52 F-35A fighters. They also plan to purchase 6 more aircraft.

The Netherlands will become the eighth country in the world to adopt this type of aircraft. In addition, the Dutch F-35As became the first F-35 aircraft in Europe to receive the appropriate certificate for the use of nuclear weapons.

It is worth noting that Ukraine will receive 24 F-16 fighters from the Netherlands.

Source: Koninklijke Luchtmacht