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Netherlands commits to first operational F-35s
Netherlands commits to first operational F-35s - IHS Jane's 360
The Netherlands has announced plans to purchase an initial eight F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in April 2015. The country has already purchased two test aircraft, based permanently in the US (pictured). Source: Lockheed Martin
The Netherlands announced on 15 December that it will sign a contract in April 2015 for an initial eight Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs).
In total the Netherlands is planning to buy 37 F-35s, with the first of the eight initial aircraft expected to enter service in 2019. Full operational capability (FOC) is expected to be attained in 2024 with all aircraft delivered.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD), the intended contract will stay within the stated total budget of EUR4.5 billion (USD5.6 billion).
The bulk of the F-35s will be tasked with performing quick reaction alert (QRA) duties in defence of national airspace. In total five aircraft are projected to be permanently based in the US for training purposes. The Netherlands previously ordered two test aircraft, based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Meanwhile, only four F-35s will be available for international missions such as the current one in Jordan for strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq, according to the MoD.
At the beginning of November, 323 Squadron was charged with overseeing the operational test and evaluation (OT&E) phase, preparing for the arrival of the first F-35 in 2019 at the squadron's homebase of Leeuwarden. This unit was also responsible for the introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-16, starting at the end of the 1970s.
The Netherlands will also benefit from a maintenance deal for the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine announced by the F-35 Joint Project Office (JPO) on 11 December. Under the agreement, Turkey and Italy are to take the lead in this field and establish relevant infrastructure by 2018. Norway and the Netherlands are expected to have established comparable facilities by 2020. However, the workshare between countries remains unclear.
In separate F-35-related news, Dutch company Fokker has won a contract to manufacture parts of the parachute brake system for Norway's F-35s. Fokker has already landed contracts for producing cables, wing-parts, and the arresting hook for the naval F-35C. Fokker is estimated to have received contracts worth EUR5 billion through the F-35 programme.
IHS Janes Analysis
The low number of aircraft that the Dutch MoD envisages being able to deploy abroad has prompted public criticism.
The F-35 sits among a handful of aircraft at the pinnacle of modern combat aircraft design - and comes with a price tag to match. All aircraft designs involve compromises and, while it offers strong multirole capabilities, it is ultimately as a stealthy strike platform that the F-35 is principally optimised. As the commander of the US Air Force's Air Combat Command noted to Air Force Times in February, the aircraft is not designed as an air superiority platform - yet this is the principal role the Dutch F-35s will fulfil.
To purchase a fleet of expensive strike aircraft, and then to only envisage using a small fraction of them for their principal design goal appears inefficient. Meanwhile, to use an aircraft not designed to be an air superiority fighter for a QRA role seems illogical.
That the Netherlands would likely only be able to deploy such a small fleet of aircraft for foreign missions, though, should come as no surprise.
The country already struggles to find aircraft to deploy abroad from its current fleet of 60 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons. For example, in order to deploy Dutch F-16s to Jordan to take part in the strikes in Iraq against the Islamic State, a planned Dutch participation in the next rotation of the NATO Response Force (NRF) had to be cancelled.
With an even smaller fleet of available aircraft it is logical to assume that the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will have a reduced ability to deploy aircraft abroad in the future. One potential solution could be to operate a mixed fleet of aircraft, retaining some of the newer F-16 airframes in service for QRA duties beyond their proposed retirement date of 2024.
While this would impose some additional logistical and training costs on the RNLAF, this could be made up by reduced F-35 operating costs and a potential reduction in F-35 numbers. If done with the aim of increasing the overall size of the RNLAF's fast jet fleet beyond its currently envisaged strength of 37 aircraft, it could be a fairly low-cost way to free up more of the Dutch F-35 fleet for operational deployments. The alternative would be to increase the overall number of F-35s purchased closer to the original goal of 85 aircraft - a requirement cut to just 35 operational and two test aircraft in September 2013.
Netherlands commits to first operational F-35s - IHS Jane's 360
The Netherlands has announced plans to purchase an initial eight F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in April 2015. The country has already purchased two test aircraft, based permanently in the US (pictured). Source: Lockheed Martin
The Netherlands announced on 15 December that it will sign a contract in April 2015 for an initial eight Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs).
In total the Netherlands is planning to buy 37 F-35s, with the first of the eight initial aircraft expected to enter service in 2019. Full operational capability (FOC) is expected to be attained in 2024 with all aircraft delivered.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD), the intended contract will stay within the stated total budget of EUR4.5 billion (USD5.6 billion).
The bulk of the F-35s will be tasked with performing quick reaction alert (QRA) duties in defence of national airspace. In total five aircraft are projected to be permanently based in the US for training purposes. The Netherlands previously ordered two test aircraft, based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Meanwhile, only four F-35s will be available for international missions such as the current one in Jordan for strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq, according to the MoD.
At the beginning of November, 323 Squadron was charged with overseeing the operational test and evaluation (OT&E) phase, preparing for the arrival of the first F-35 in 2019 at the squadron's homebase of Leeuwarden. This unit was also responsible for the introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-16, starting at the end of the 1970s.
The Netherlands will also benefit from a maintenance deal for the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine announced by the F-35 Joint Project Office (JPO) on 11 December. Under the agreement, Turkey and Italy are to take the lead in this field and establish relevant infrastructure by 2018. Norway and the Netherlands are expected to have established comparable facilities by 2020. However, the workshare between countries remains unclear.
In separate F-35-related news, Dutch company Fokker has won a contract to manufacture parts of the parachute brake system for Norway's F-35s. Fokker has already landed contracts for producing cables, wing-parts, and the arresting hook for the naval F-35C. Fokker is estimated to have received contracts worth EUR5 billion through the F-35 programme.
IHS Janes Analysis
The low number of aircraft that the Dutch MoD envisages being able to deploy abroad has prompted public criticism.
The F-35 sits among a handful of aircraft at the pinnacle of modern combat aircraft design - and comes with a price tag to match. All aircraft designs involve compromises and, while it offers strong multirole capabilities, it is ultimately as a stealthy strike platform that the F-35 is principally optimised. As the commander of the US Air Force's Air Combat Command noted to Air Force Times in February, the aircraft is not designed as an air superiority platform - yet this is the principal role the Dutch F-35s will fulfil.
To purchase a fleet of expensive strike aircraft, and then to only envisage using a small fraction of them for their principal design goal appears inefficient. Meanwhile, to use an aircraft not designed to be an air superiority fighter for a QRA role seems illogical.
That the Netherlands would likely only be able to deploy such a small fleet of aircraft for foreign missions, though, should come as no surprise.
The country already struggles to find aircraft to deploy abroad from its current fleet of 60 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons. For example, in order to deploy Dutch F-16s to Jordan to take part in the strikes in Iraq against the Islamic State, a planned Dutch participation in the next rotation of the NATO Response Force (NRF) had to be cancelled.
With an even smaller fleet of available aircraft it is logical to assume that the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will have a reduced ability to deploy aircraft abroad in the future. One potential solution could be to operate a mixed fleet of aircraft, retaining some of the newer F-16 airframes in service for QRA duties beyond their proposed retirement date of 2024.
While this would impose some additional logistical and training costs on the RNLAF, this could be made up by reduced F-35 operating costs and a potential reduction in F-35 numbers. If done with the aim of increasing the overall size of the RNLAF's fast jet fleet beyond its currently envisaged strength of 37 aircraft, it could be a fairly low-cost way to free up more of the Dutch F-35 fleet for operational deployments. The alternative would be to increase the overall number of F-35s purchased closer to the original goal of 85 aircraft - a requirement cut to just 35 operational and two test aircraft in September 2013.
