TRAINING
IN TUCSON
ne of three F-16 squadrons within
the Arizona Air National Guard’s
(ANG’s) 162nd Wing at Tucson is
dedicated to training Royal Netherlands
Air Force (RNLAF) F-16 pilots.
The 148th Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Kickin’
Ass’ has ten RNLAF-owned F-16s in
Mid-Life Update (MLU) configuration
assigned, comprising five F-16AMs and five
F-16BMs. The Netherlands Detachment
Tucson Arizona (NDTA) has a modest
personnel strength of 12 Dutchmen.
The NDTA’s commanding officer since
August 2016 is Lt Col Joost ‘Niki’
Luijsterburg, an experienced fighter
pilot with close to 4,000 flying hours
in F-16s, including F-16C Block
40s during an exchange tour
with the 347th Fighter
Wing (FW) at Moody
Air Force Base,
Georgia, in 1998-- He is one of five Dutch
instructor pilots (IPs) within the
148th, working alongside three
American IPs. Other NDTA
personnel include a warrant officer,
simulator instructor, two mission
planners, a logistic officer and two
maintenance officers. Servicing and
maintenance of the Dutch jets is in
the hands of Arizona ANG personnel.
A lasting relationship
The Tucson-based wing has been associated
with Dutch F-16 pilot training for decades.
In April 1990, the 148th FS – back then
part of the 162nd Tactical Fighter Group –
began initial qualification training (IQT) of
RNLAF F-16 pilots. The Netherlands was
the first international partner to have its
newly trained jet pilots learn to fly the F-16
at Tucson – dozens of other nations were to
follow in the coming years. For this purpose,
the RNLAF relocated 11 of its F-16A/Bs
to Tucson between December 1989 and
January 1990, including eight F-16As and
three F-16Bs, in Block 10 OCU configuration.
The aircraft were painted in full Arizona ANG
markings including US Air Force roundels
and serial number presentation and were
only recognisable as RNLAF jets by the tiny
Dutch roundels applied to the air intakes. The
Dutch F-16s returned to the Netherlands in
spring 1995 and RNLAF pilots switched to
flying the Arizona ANG’s own F-16A/B Block
15s, and eventually F-16C/D Block 42s.
After 17 years, the RNLAF left Tucson in
early 2007, albeit temporarily. This was the
result of the RNLAF’s decision to relocate
Volkel-based 306 Squadron – responsible
for the theatre qualification training (TQT) of
F-16 pilots – ‘across the pond’ and combine
IQT and TQT into an entirely US-based,
‘new style’ IQT. The 162nd FW (as it was- He is one of five Dutch
instructor pilots (IPs) within the
planners, a logistic officer and two
maintenance officers. Servicing and
maintenance of the Dutch jets is in
the hands of Arizona ANG personnel.O
http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #361 APRIL 2018 // 81