‘RAPID LIGHTNING’ DEPLOYMENT FOR DUTCH F-35S
AFTER MONTHS OF preparation,
two F-35As assigned to 323 Test
and Evaluation Squadron made
their way from Edwards AFB,
California, to Volkel Air Base in the
Netherlands. The idea behind the
deployment was to validate the
concept of a rapid deployment
and was part of the ongoing
operational test and evaluation
(OT&E) of the F-35. The transit was
supported by a C-17A from March
ARB, California, and a KDC-
tanker from 334 Squadron, Royal
Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). The
latter developed some technical
issues en route and was unableto transfer fuel to the pair of
Lightnings, forcing the package to
divert to Goose Bay in Canada. A
second KDC-10 was launched to
pick up the aircraft over Greenland
to support the transit.
Upon arrival at Volkel, the F-35s
ew rst to the Corn eld range
on the island of Vlieland to work
with forward air controllers and
delivered two GBU-12 and two
GBU-49 precision-guided weapons.
The two aircraft landed on June
13 after an eight-hour ight, just
in time for the RNLAF Open House
that commenced the next day.
Frank CrébasDUTCH ‘VIPER’ TURNS 40
EXACTLY 40 YEARS after it
received its rst Fighting Falcon,
the Royal Netherlands Air Force
unveiled F-16AM J-642 with a
commemorative tail at Volkel AirBase. Among those attending the
small ceremony was Brig Gen (ret’)
Wim Sneek, who ew the rst F-
for delivery to Leeuwarden Air Base
on June 7, 1979. Frank CrébasSEAHAWKS FOR GREECE
THE US STATE Department has
approved the possible Foreign
Military Sale of MH-60R multi-
mission helicopters to the
government of Greece. The deal,
which could be worth as much as
$600 million, includes up to seven
MH-60Rs and 18 General ElectricT700-GE-401C turboshaft engines.
The Seahawks will be con gured
with AN/APS-153(V) multi-mode
radars, AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low
Frequency Sonar (ALFS), AN/AAS-
44C(V) multi-spectral targeting
systems and various other systems
and weapons.KC-30A RETURNS TO MIDDLE EAST OPERATIONS
A KC 30A MULTI ROLE Tanker
Transport aircraft operated by the
Royal Australian Air Force’s No 33
Squadron is once again supporting
operations in the Middle East from
a base in the United Arab Emirates.
The KC-30A returned to the region inJune following a hiatus that began
in October 2018. The service had
maintained a KC-30A detachment in
the region as part of Operation ‘Okra’,
since September 2014. The RAAF’s
current eet of six KC-30As is stationed
at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.Greece’s Hellenic Navy already operates the older
S-70B-6 variant of the Seahawk. Peter ten BergSPECIAL MISSION KING AIRS FOR CANADA
THE ROYAL CANADIAN Air Force
will receive three King Airs that will
be modi ed with WESCAM MX-
15D electro-optical/infra-red (EO/
IR) sensors and other intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
and electronic intelligence (ELINT)
systems as well as an advanced
communications suite. Deliveries to 8
Wing/CFB Trenton, Ontario, will beginin spring 2022. Although the aircraft
will be own by RCAF pilots, the
specialized systems will be operated
by members of the Canadian Special
Operations Forces Command. The
aircraft will support missions overseas
and domestically. The $143.8-million
deal was approved by the US
government in October 2018 but was
nalized in late April.CANADIAN HORNET UPGRADE PLANS
CANADA PLANS TO upgrade its
CF-188 eet under a two-phase
program that will begin this
summer. The e ort is intended to
keep the aircraft relevant until they
are retired in 2032. Under Phase 1,
which will be completed in 2025,
the Hornets will receive upgrades
that will allow them to comply
with ‘evolving aviation regulatory
requirements, and updated allied
interoperability standards’, accordingto the Canadian Defence Minister.
Phase 2 is focused on combat
performance and the requirements
are still being developed by the
RCAF’s Fighter Capability O ce.
Creation of the upgrade program
was recommended by Canada’s
Auditor General in December- Canada’s Public Works and
Procurement agency plans to
release a request for proposal for a
CF-188 replacement in July.
GUATEMALA ORDERS PAMPA III
GUATEMALA HAS SIGNED a contract
to acquire two IA-63 Pampa III jet
trainers from Argentina at a cost
of $28 million. The contract makes
Guatemala the rst export customer
for the aircraft. They will be used for
ight training and border control.
The Pampa III is an upgraded versionof the trainer, which was developed
in the 1980s. It is powered by a
Honeywell TFE731-40-2N turbofan
and features a new glass cockpit
and modernized avionics. The
trainer is produced by the Argentine
government-owned Fábrica
Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA).The second F-35A to make it to the Netherlands was factory-fresh
serial F-008. It is being used in Dutch operational test (OT) before
joining the 308th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona. Frank CrébasThe RCAF’s CF-188 fl eet is set for a two-phase upgrade to
keep them in service until 2032. RCAFWORLD [NEWS]
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