to work their way through 210 hours of academic
study in 150 different classes. They spend
another 60 hours on 44 simulator sessions.
For this purpose, the 148th FS uses two F-16
simulators. Owned by Lockheed Martin, these
were previously Block 50 configured but were
reworked to MLU standard in 2007, when the
RNLAF IQT was running at Springfield. The
simulators are modified to the latest MLU
standard and have screens with a 160° field
of view. They can be linked to fly combined
missions, even up to 2-v-2 sorties with an
instructor simulating the Red Air role. The
simulators can be used in conjunction with
equipment from the real jet, including the Joint
Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and
Link 16 data link. The IPs ‘fly’ the simulators too,
for instance to practise critical action procedures.
While the majority of the IQT missions are
flown from Tucson, each class operates
out of another US base as well for a couple
of weeks. This is mainly done to let the
students get used to flying over water,
which is important for Dutch pilots as most
instruction missions for the Netherlands-
based squadrons are flown in a large training
area over the North Sea. In recent years,
the IQT party deployed to Marine Corps Air
Station Miramar in California for this purpose.Aircraft configuration
With the IQT being top priority, the configuration
of 148th jets is dictated by the training
phase being followed at the time. Early in
the syllabus, the aircraft are flown without
wing tanks. These are added later, and
so is the targeting pod during the air-to-air
component, when the students have flown
around 26-30 missions. The pod can be used
either for air-to-air or air-to-surface missions
and stays on until the end of the course.
“Our jets usually fly one IQT and one
operational mission per day. Since we cannot
switch their configuration twice a day, the
operational pilots are bound to fly the sort of
missions that the students do at that moment.
The operational squadrons are familiar with the
IQT schedule and related configurations. So,
they can plan accordingly to make sure that
the pilots that need air-to-air training come
over when the IQT students are in the air-to-air
phase, and so on,” the commander observed.
Niki continued: “Of course, the IQT syllabus is
adjusted whenever we introduce new systems
or weapons.” The RNLAF started using the
AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod
(ATP) in September 2016 and the AIM-9X
air-to-air missile in February last year. The
Snipers have replaced most of the older AN/AAQ-28(V)4 Litening AT Block II pods, while
the AIM-9X takes over from the AIM-9L. “We
started flying with the AIM-9X immediately after
it was accepted in early 2017,” Niki noted.
“We still use Litening targeting pods and it is
not certain yet whether we will get Snipers
at Tucson – that depends on the operational
needs of the squadrons in the Netherlands.
“We have ten aircraft here. We need four of
them for the two daily waves, plus another two
as spares. That comes down
to a serviceability requirement
of 60%,” said Niki. To
achieve this, maintenance
and servicing have
to be well planned.Although that task is outsourced to the Arizona
ANG, the RNLAF aircraft at Tucson are still
maintained according to Dutch regulations
due to their Dutch airworthiness certificate.
“This is a unique situation which caused
the ANG to shift gears on a lot of levels,
but they have done an outstanding job,”
noted Niki. “The US maintainers now work
under Dutch airworthiness laws according
to combined Dutch/US procedures.”
The jets are kept in the same configuration
standard as those in the Netherlands.
“Nevertheless, we try to limit the number of
jets swapped with the Netherlands-based
fleet to a minimum, because there is a lot of
paperwork involved when we transfer jets toDuring the transition phase and the early part
of the air-to-air segment of the IQT, the RNLAF
F-16s only have a belly tank fitted, as illustrated by
J-004. Kees van der Mark148th Fighter Squadron
84 // APRIL 2018 #361 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com