Nizozemské královské vzdušné a vesmírné síly
The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force began with four pilots and one aircraft at Soesterberg in 1913, was all but destroyed in five days in May 1940, fought two colonial wars it could not win, scored its first air-to-air kill since 1940 over Serbia in 1999, and in 2026 is an all-F-35 fighter force that renamed itself for space and gave its F-16s to Ukraine and Romania.
The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force story: four pilots, five days in May 1940 and a new name for space
1913–1939: four pilots, one Brik and a neutral country
Dutch military aviation began on 1 July 1913, when the army’s Luchtvaartafdeeling was set up at Soesterberg with four pilots and a single aircraft, the Brik; three French Farman HF.20s followed within months. The Netherlands stayed neutral through the First World War, and the small arm spent those years training pilots and opening airfields rather than fighting, at Arnhem, Gilze-Rijen, Venlo and Vlissingen among others. The interwar years were lean. Budgets were cut, and rearmament came late: the defence ministry dates a renaming to the Wapen der Militaire Luchtvaart to 1938, and in July 1939 the flying units became the Luchtvaartbrigade. On mobilisation in August 1939 the order of battle was largely home-built — 36 Fokker D.XXI fighters, 35 twin-boom Fokker G.I heavy fighters, 16 Fokker T.V bombers, Fokker C.V and C.X biplanes and Koolhoven FK.51s — with 17 American Douglas DB-8A attack aircraft. Some of these were good aeroplanes. There were simply too few of them, and too few trained crews to fly them.
May 1940: five days
When Germany invaded on 10 May 1940 the Dutch had about 155 aircraft, 125 of them serviceable and 74 of them biplanes. Surprise raids on the airfields wrecked much of the force on the first morning, and by that evening about 70 aircraft remained; of 28 serviceable D.XXIs, only eight were still airworthy when the fighting ended. The Dutch hit back hardest where the Germans were most exposed, at the airborne landings around The Hague and Rotterdam. The defence ministry credits the Dutch with destroying more than 220 German transport aircraft, and German Ju 52 losses across the whole campaign are put at 224 of the 430 committed — to fighters, anti-aircraft fire and crash-landings on fields and beaches alike. Claims for Dutch fighter pilots differ between sources. After Rotterdam was bombed on 14 May the main Dutch forces surrendered; more than 2,300 Dutch servicemen died in the May days. It was brave and brief, and it proved that courage cannot make up for a decade of neglect.
1940–1962: exile, the Indies and two colonial wars
Dutch airmen fought on under British command. Nos. 320 and 321 Squadrons were formed on 1 June 1940 by naval airmen who had escaped with their Fokker T.VIII seaplanes — naval units, strictly, and later the navy’s — and 322 Squadron, formed with Spitfires at Woodvale on 12 June 1943, is the air force’s own link to the RAF: it was credited with 108.5 V-1 flying bombs in 1944 and still flies today. In the East Indies the army’s air arm, the ML-KNIL, was overwhelmed by Japan in 1942; survivors re-formed in Australia with B-25 Mitchells and Kittyhawks. After 1945 those squadrons were turned against Indonesian nationalists, flying 40 P-51D Mustangs in the “police actions” of 1947 and 1948–49 — a war the Netherlands lost, and whose conduct is still debated. The ML-KNIL was dissolved in 1950. In 1960 twelve Hunters were shipped to Biak to defend Netherlands New Guinea; after the New York Agreement of 15 August 1962 they came home, and the territory went to Indonesia.
1953–1991: an independent service in NATO’s front line
The air force became an independent service in March 1953, with the royal prefix Koninklijke; sources differ on whether the day was the 11th or the 27th. American aid and Dutch licence production then built a large NATO force: Meteors from 1948, F-84G Thunderjets and F-84F Thunderstreaks, Hunters until 1968, 63 F-86K all-weather Sabres, F-104G Starfighters from 1962 to 1984 and 105 NF-5s from 1969 to 1991. The Starfighter purchase left a stain: in August 1976 Prince Bernhard, the Queen’s husband, was forced out as Inspector-General of the armed forces after being accused of taking about 1.1 million dollars from Lockheed. The F-16 replaced them all. The Netherlands ordered 213, built partly by Fokker, and took the first in June 1979. From the 1960s Volkel also carried NATO’s nuclear-sharing role, which Dutch governments have neither confirmed nor denied; the veil slipped in 2013 when former prime minister Ruud Lubbers spoke of 22 bombs there.
1993–2016: Srebrenica, the MiG-29 and Hawija
After the Cold War the F-16s went to war repeatedly. Over Bosnia from April 1993 they enforced the no-fly zone, and on 11 July 1995 two Dutch F-16s made the only attack NATO flew to save Srebrenica, bombing Serb armour outside the town before the strikes were called off under threats to Dutch hostages — the town fell and thousands were murdered, and the Kok cabinet resigned in April 2002 over the failure. On 24 March 1999, the first night over Yugoslavia, Maj. Peter Tankink shot down a Serbian MiG-29 with an AMRAAM, the first Dutch air-to-air kill since 1940; Dutch aircraft flew 1,194 sorties in the campaign. Afghanistan followed from 2002 to 2014, with more than 10,000 F-16 missions and one pilot, Capt. Michael Donkervoort, killed in 2006. Libya in 2011 was a no-fly-zone-only mission. Over Iraq and Syria the F-16s flew about 2,100 missions, and one of them, the strike on Hawija on 3 June 2015, killed at least 70 civilians — a fact Parliament was not told until 2019.
2013–2026: the F-35, the F-16’s afterlife and a new name
The F-35 was the most argued-over purchase in Dutch defence history. The Netherlands joined the programme in 2002 and once planned 85 aircraft; in September 2013 the government settled on 37 inside a 4.5 billion euro cap, and later decisions lifted the order to 52 in 2022 and 57 by 2025. The Algemene Rekenkamer followed the project for more than twenty years and summed up the Dutch position as a choice to board the bus or let it pass. The first operational F-35A landed at Leeuwarden on 31 October 2019, full operational capability followed on 26 September 2024, and the F-16 was retired the next day after 45 years. Twenty-four went to Ukraine and 18 to the F-16 training centre in Romania, which took ownership for one euro in November 2025. Dutch F-35s shot down Russian drones over Poland in September 2025. On 1 July 2025 the command was renamed Commando Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten — the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force — to make space a full military domain.
The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force in numbers
Servis
- Rodné jméno
- Commando Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten (CLRS)The name of the command since 1 July 2025. The historic name Koninklijke Luchtmacht is kept: the ministry says the Commander of the Air and Space Force leads the Koninklijke Luchtmacht. Before the rename the command was the Commando Luchtstrijdkrachten (CLSK)
- English name
- Nizozemské královské vzdušné a vesmírné sílyUsed by the ministry’s English site since the 2025 rename; Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) remains the common former name
- Založeno
- 1 July 1913The army’s Luchtvaartafdeeling was set up at Soesterberg with four pilots and one aircraft. The air force became an independent service with the prefix Koninklijke in March 1953; sources give either 11 or 27 March
- Část
- Netherlands Armed ForcesThe commander reports to the Chief of Defence (Commandant der Strijdkrachten). The Defence Helicopter Command, once a joint command, is part of the air and space force
- Velitelství
- BredaDirectorates for operations, materiel logistics and maintenance, and personnel and business operations; four functional commands: Air Combat, Air Mobility, Defence Helicopter and Air Support
- Velitel
- Lt. Gen. André SteurCommander of the Air and Space Force since 14 April 2023
- Minister of Defence
- Dilan Yeşilgöz-ZegeriusAlso first Deputy Prime Minister in the Jetten cabinet; State Secretary Derk Boswijk
Pevnost
- Personál
- About 9,500 (2025)7,051 military, 1,349 civilian and 1,067 reservists, a total of 9,467, as given by Wikipedia from the ministry’s personnel page, which could not be retrieved for this dataset. In 2020 the figure was 8,291
- Bojová letadla
-
- F-35A Lightning II — 52 in service, 57 on contract
40 had been delivered by the end of 2024 and eight more were due in 2025; the rest arrive by 2028. The F-16 left service on 27 September 2024
- Vrtulníky
-
- AH-64E Apache — 28
- CH-47F Chinook — 20
- NH90 NFH — 19
- AS532U2 Cougar — 12 to 17
All in the Defence Helicopter Command. Cougar counts differ between sources; 12 H225M Caracals are to replace them from 2030
- Transport and tanker
-
- A330 MRTT — 10 in the multinational pool at Eindhoven, 2 more ordered
- C-130H and C-130H-30 Hercules — 4
- Gulfstream — 1 government and command transport
The MRTTs are owned by NATO and flown by a Multinational MRTT Unit for six partner nations; the Hercules are to be replaced by the C-390 from late 2027
- Bezpilotní letadla
- MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 — 8One system of eight aircraft and four ground stations, flown by 306 Squadron at Leeuwarden; weapons fully usable by 2028
- Trenéři
- Pilatus PC-7 — 13131 Squadron at Woensdrecht; eight PC-7 MKX from May 2027. F-35 conversion training is done at Luke AFB, Arizona
- Defence spending
- NATO target of 3.5 per cent of GDP for core defence by 2035Agreed with all allies at the Hague summit on 25 June 2025, plus up to 1.5 per cent for resilience and related spending. A separate air force budget figure was not confirmed
- Plocha
- First operational radar satellite in orbitThe ministry marked the rename by pointing to the first Dutch operational radar reconnaissance satellite; Wikipedia lists one ICEYE SAR satellite with three more on order
Infrastruktura
- Letecké základny
-
- Leeuwarden — F-35 (322, 323 Sqn), MQ-9 (306 Sqn)
- Volkel — F-35 (312, 313 Sqn)
- Eindhoven — C-130, Gulfstream, MRTT, EATC
- Gilze-Rijen — Apache, Chinook, Cougar
- Woensdrecht — PC-7, air depot
- De Kooy — NH90
- Deelen — helicopter training field, no based unit
- Dnes schopný tryskového letadla
- 2 fighter basesLeeuwarden and Volkel; Eindhoven handles the heavy transports and tankers
- Closed or civil
-
- Soesterberg — birthplace of the service in 1913, now home to the Nationaal Militair Museum
- Twenthe — where 322 Squadron re-formed in 1946 and the NF-5 entered service
- De Peel — airfield closed, guided-weapons group remains
- Squadrons abroad
-
- F-35 training detachment — Luke AFB, Arizona
- 302 Squadron — Fort Hood, Texas, Apache and Chinook training
- Upozornění na rychlou reakci
- Shared with Belgium since 1 January 2017The two countries take turns guarding Benelux airspace
- Nuclear sharing
- VolkelOfficially neither confirmed nor denied; former prime ministers spoke of about 22 B61 bombs in 2013 and a NATO parliamentary draft named Volkel in 2019
How the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force is organised
One headquarters at Breda over four functional commands. Air Combat Command holds the F-35 bases at Leeuwarden and Volkel, Air Mobility Command the transport hub at Eindhoven, Air Support Command the training and depot base at Woensdrecht, and the Defence Helicopter Command every Dutch military helicopter. The commander reports to the Chief of Defence.
Commando Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten
The air force headquarters at Breda, with directorates for operations, materiel logistics and maintenance, and personnel and business operations. The Commander of the Air and Space Force reports to the Chief of Defence; the command took its present name on 1 July 2025.
Vzdušné bojové velení
The two fighter bases: Leeuwarden, with 322 and 323 Squadrons on the F-35A and 306 Squadron on the MQ-9A Reaper, and Volkel, with 312 and 313 Squadrons on the F-35A. The two share the Benelux quick reaction alert with Belgium.
Velitelství vzdušné mobility
The transport hub at Eindhoven: 336 Squadron with the C-130 Hercules and 334 Squadron with the government Gulfstream. The base also hosts the multinational A330 MRTT unit and the European Air Transport Command.
Defence Helicopter Command
Every Dutch military helicopter: the Chinook, Cougar and Apache squadrons at Gilze-Rijen, the NH90 maritime helicopters at De Kooy, the exercise field at Deelen and 302 Squadron at Fort Hood in Texas. At Gilze-Rijen since July 2008.
Air Support Command
The schoolhouse and workshop at Woensdrecht: 131 Squadron trains every Dutch military pilot on the PC-7, alongside the Royal Air Education and Training Center and the depot squadrons, 980 to 983, that overhaul the fleet.
What the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force flies today
Každý typ na obvinění, propojený s jeho stránkou v Knize zvířat, kde nějaký existuje. Počty se vztahují na letadla v evidenci, nikoli na letadla dostupná v daný den.
| Typ | Role | V provozu | Od | Jednotky | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIV provozu | Multirole stealth fighter | 52 | 2019 | — | 52 in service according to Wikipedia’s inventory; the ministry’s June 2025 progress report gives 40 delivered by the end of 2024, eight due in 2025 and a total of 57 by 2028. | |
| General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper Block 5V provozu | Ozbrojený průzkumný dron | 8 | — | One system of eight aircraft and four ground control stations. | ||
| Airbus A330 MRTT (nadnárodní flotila MRTT)V provozu | Tanker and transport | 10 | — | Ten in the multinational pool and two more ordered, per Wikipedia’s inventory.
VíceThe aircraft are NATO-owned and shared by six nations; the Dutch share of flying hours is not a fixed number of airframes. |
||
| Lockheed C-130H a C-130H-30 HerculesV provozu | Taktická doprava | 4 | — | Two C-130H and two stretched C-130H-30, registered G-273, G-275, G-781 and G-988. | ||
| Gulfstream G650ERV provozu | Vládní a velitelská doprava | 1 | — | One aircraft. The ministry’s own pages have described it as both a Gulfstream IV and a Gulfstream VI; Wikipedia gives a G650ER, which is used here. | ||
| Boeing AH-64E Apache GuardianV provozu | Útočný vrtulník | 28 | — | 28 according to Wikipedia; the ministry does not publish the fleet size. | ||
| Boeing CH-47F ChinookV provozu | Heavy transport helicopter | 20 | — | 20 according to Wikipedia; the ministry does not publish the fleet size. | ||
| NHIndustries NH90 NFHV provozu | Maritime helicopter | 19 | — | 19 in service and three more ordered, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Eurocopter AS532U2 CougarV provozu | Special operations transport helicopter | 12 | — | Sources differ: Wikipedia’s current inventory gives 12, while 17 is the figure usually given for the fleet as delivered; the ministry’s type page does not publish a number.
VíceUNVERIFIED which is current. |
||
| Pilatus PC-7V provozu | Základní trenér | 13 | — | 13 first-generation aircraft. |
Na objednávku
| Typ | Objednané | První dodávka | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IINa objednávku | 5 | The balance of the 57 aircraft in the June 2025 progress report; the remaining aircraft are to be delivered by 2028. | ||
| Embraer C-390 MillenniumNa objednávku | 5 | 2027 | Bought together with Austria and Sweden to replace the C-130. First aircraft expected at the end of 2027 and the last in 2029, for 336 Squadron at Eindhoven.
VíceThe quantity is Wikipedia’s; the ministry page does not state it. |
|
| Airbus H225M CaracalNa objednávku | 12 | 2030 | Replaces the Cougar in 300 Special Operations Squadron at Gilze-Rijen; deliveries from 2030, the last in 2032. | |
| Pilatus PC-7 MKXNa objednávku | 8 | 2027 | Selected in October 2024 with two simulators and signed in February 2025. First aircraft in May 2027; all aircraft, simulators and training aids by September 2027. | |
| NHIndustries NH90 NFH (additional)Na objednávku | 3 | 2030 | The ministry says it is buying a number of extra NH90s for 2030; Wikipedia gives three. | |
| Airbus A330 MRTT (multinational pool)Na objednávku | 2 | Two further aircraft for the NATO-owned pool, per Wikipedia’s inventory; the Dutch share is not a fixed number of airframes. |
Every type the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force has retired
23 types, from the Brik to the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow. Špičkové hodnoty se vztahují na počet draků letadel převzatých do provozu po celou dobu jejich životnosti, nikoli na počet letadel v daný den.
| Typ | Role | Vrchol | Obsluhováno | Nahrazeno | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow | Útočný vrtulník | — | — | AH-64E | Number UNVERIFIED; the whole fleet was rebuilt as AH-64E in 2025. | |
| General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon (MLU) | Víceúčelový stíhač | 213 | 1979–2024 | F-35A | 213 bought in two orders, 102 then 111 (177 F-16A and 36 F-16B); 138 were upgraded to the Mid-Life Update standard by TWZ’s count (of 170 once planned), 108 by Wikipedia’s. | |
| McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 | Tanker and transport | — | — | A330 MRTT | Fleet size and entry date not confirmed from a primary source for this dataset. | |
| Canadair NF-5A/B Freedom Fighter | Light fighter-bomber and trainer | 105 | 1969–1991 | F-16 | 75 single-seat NF-5A and 30 two-seat NF-5B, delivered between 7 October 1969 and 20 March 1972. | |
| Lockheed F-104G Starfighter | Strike, reconnaissance and interceptor | — | 1962–1984 | F-16 | Total not confirmed from a primary source; hobbyist tallies give about 138 of all versions. UNVERIFIED. | |
| Letouny Republic F-84F Thunderstreak a RF-84F Thunderflash | Stíhací bombardér a průzkumný letoun | 204 | 1955–1970 | NF-5 | 180 F-84F and 24 RF-84F. | |
| Hawker Hunter F.4, F.6 a T.7 | Denní stíhačka | — | 1955–1968 | F-104G | Total UNVERIFIED; Fokker built Hunters under licence for the Dutch and Belgian air forces. | |
| Severoamerický F-86K Sabre | Záchytný letoun do každého počasí | 63 | 1955–1964 | F-104G | 57 US-built and six Fiat-built aircraft. | |
| Republic F-84E/G Thunderjet | Stíhací bombardér | 200 | 1952–1956 | F-84F | Wikipedia gives 21 F-84E and 179 F-84G; a hobbyist tally gives 187, so the total lies between 187 and 200 depending on how transfers are counted. | |
| North American P-51D Mustang (ML-KNIL) | Stíhací bombardér | 40 | — | — | 40 received by the Netherlands East Indies army air arm; 26 were handed to Indonesia. | |
| North American B-25 Mitchell | Střední bombardér | — | 1942–1950 | — | Number UNVERIFIED. | |
| Lockheed Hudson | Námořní hlídka | — | 1940–1942 | Mitchell | Number UNVERIFIED. | |
| Fokker D.XXI | Bojovník | 36 | — | — | 36 on strength in August 1939; 28 serviceable on 10 May 1940, eight still airworthy at the end of the fighting. | |
| Fokker G.I | Heavy fighter | 35 | — | — | 35 on strength in August 1939; the count in May 1940 differs between sources. | |
| Fokker T.V | Střední bombardér | 16 | — | — | 16 in August 1939. | |
| Fokker C.V and C.X | Průzkumný a lehký bombardér | 53 | — | — | 33 C.V and 20 C.X in August 1939. | |
| Douglas DB-8A-3N | Attack aircraft | 17 | — | — | 17 in August 1939. | |
| Fokker T.VIII | Torpedo and patrol seaplane | 8 | 1940–1940 | Anson and Hudson | Eight escaped to Britain in May 1940. | |
| Gloster Meteor F.4, T.7 a F.8 | Denní stíhačka | — | 1948– | Lovec | 38 F.4 from 1948 and 160 F.8 by Wikipedia’s count, plus T.7 trainers; the F.8s were licence-built by Fokker. Hobbyist counts of the F.4 run higher. Total UNVERIFIED. | |
| Supermarine Spitfire | Bojovník | — | 1943– | Meteor | Number UNVERIFIED. | |
| Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk | Bojovník | — | — | — | Number UNVERIFIED. | |
| Brik | Early military aircraft | 1 | 1913– | Farman HF.20 | The single aircraft of the new service in 1913. | |
| Lockheed T-33 | Proudový cvičný letoun | — | — | NF-5B | Number UNVERIFIED. |
Where the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force flies from
Černé kolíky představují aktivní základny, duté kolíky ty, které jsou zavřené. Allied and multinational units — the US Air Force munitions squadron at Volkel, the A330 tanker unit at Eindhoven and, until 1994, the American fighter squadron at Soesterberg — are listed with the base that hosts them and marked as allied. Záznamy bez zveřejněných údajů o letišti nemají PIN kód.
| Báze | ICAO | Postavení | Dráha | Jednotky a letadla |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Kooy Naval Air StationNorth Holland (Noord-Holland) | EHKD | Aktivní | 03/211,275 mtarmac/concrete |
|
| DeelenGelderland | EHDL | Aktivní | 01/191,046 mtarmac/concrete | — |
| EindhovenSeverní Brabantsko (Noord-Brabant) | EHEH | Aktivní | 03/213 000 mtarmac |
|
| Gilze-RijenSeverní Brabantsko (Noord-Brabant) | EHGR | Aktivní | 10/282,768 mtarmac/concrete02/201,996 mtarmac/concrete |
|
| LeeuwardenFriesland (Fryslân) | EHLW | Aktivní | 05/232,452 mtarmac/concrete09/272 000 mtarmac/concrete |
|
| VolkelSeverní Brabantsko (Noord-Brabant) | EHVK | Aktivní | 06L/24R3,024 mtarmac/concrete06R/24L3,027 mtarmac/concrete |
|
| WoensdrechtSeverní Brabantsko (Noord-Brabant) | EHWO | Aktivní | 07R/25L2 442 mtarmac/concrete07L/25R2,180 mtarmac |
|
| SoesterbergUtrecht | Uzavřeno 2008 | — |
|
|
| TwentheOverijssel | EHTW | Uzavřeno 2007 | 05/232,406 m |
|
| Valkenburg NavalSouth Holland (Zuid-Holland) | EHVB | Uzavřeno 2006 | — |
|
| De PeelLimburg | EHDP | Zavřeno 1993 | — | — |
| YpenburgSouth Holland (Zuid-Holland) | Zavřeno v roce 1992 | — | — |
Tomuto vyhledávání neodpovídá žádná letecká základna.
Who is stationed where in the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force
Létající jednotky podle základny, aktuální jednotky jako první. Where official pages and secondary sources disagree on a date or an aircraft variant, the unit note says so rather than choosing. Allied and multinational units say so.
- 322 SquadronStíhací letka · aktivní
- F-35A Lightning II
- 323 Squadron (Air Combat Development Centre)Fighter squadron and tactics development centre · active
- F-35A Lightning II
- 306 SquadronRemotely piloted aircraft squadron · active
- MQ-9A Žací stroj
- 312 SquadronStíhací letka · aktivní
- F-35A Lightning II
- 313 SquadronStíhací letka · aktivní
- F-35A Lightning II
- 703rd Munitions Support Squadron (US Air Force)Munitions support squadron · allied
- —
- 327 Squadron1951–
- —
- 328 Squadron1951–
- —
- 311 Squadron1951–
- —
- 334 SquadronTransport squadron · active
- Gulfstream G650ER
- 336 SquadronTaktická transportní letka · aktivní
- C-130H / C-130H-30 Hercules
- Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU)Multinational tanker-transport unit · allied
- Airbus A330 MRTT
- 314 Squadron1952–
- F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak
- 315 Squadron1952–1970
- F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak
- 316 Squadron1952–1994
- F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak, NF-5A/B, F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
- 298 SquadronTransport helicopter squadron · active
- CH-47F Chinook
- 300 Special Operations SquadronSpecial operations helicopter squadron · active
- AS532 U2 Cougar
- 301 SquadronAttack helicopter squadron · active
- AH-64E Apache
- 314 Squadron—
- NF-5A/B, F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
- 131 SquadronFlying training squadron · active
- Pilatus PC-7
- 860 SquadronMaritime helicopter squadron · active
- NH90 NFH
Žádná jednotka neodpovídá tomuto vyhledávání.
Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force milestones, 1914 to today
1 July: the army’s Luchtvaartafdeeling is set up at Soesterberg with four pilots and one aircraft, the Brik; three Farman HF.20s follow within months.
The Netherlands East Indies army starts its own flying service, the ancestor of the ML-KNIL, which takes that name on 30 March 1939.
July: the Luchtvaartafdeeling becomes the Luchtvaartbrigade. On mobilisation in August the service fields Fokker D.XXI and G.I fighters, T.V bombers and C.V and C.X biplanes.
10–14 May: the Luftwaffe destroys most of the air arm in five days; the Dutch account for more than 220 German transport aircraft. On 1 June naval airmen form Nos. 320 and 321 Squadrons in Britain.
The ML-KNIL is overwhelmed in Java; survivors form NEI squadrons in Australia, No. 18 with B-25 Mitchells from April 1942 and No. 120 with Kittyhawks.
12 June: 322 (Dutch) Squadron forms at RAF Woodvale with Spitfires.
8 July: Flying Officer Rudy Burgwal of 322 Squadron claims five V-1s in one 90-minute flight; the squadron’s total reaches 108.5.
27 September: 322 Squadron is re-formed as a Dutch unit at Twente.
The ML-KNIL’s P-51 Mustangs, Mitchells and Kittyhawks fly in the first “police action”, Operation Product; the second, Operation Kraai, follows in 1948–49.
The ML-KNIL is dissolved after the transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia; 26 Mustangs pass to the Indonesian air force.
March: the air force becomes an independent service, the Koninklijke Luchtmacht; the exact day is given as 11 or 27 March.
21 October: 322 Squadron flies the first Hunter sortie at Biak, Netherlands New Guinea.
15 August: the New York Agreement ends the New Guinea dispute; the Hunters are withdrawn in October. The F-104G Starfighter enters service.
7 October: the first Canadair-built NF-5 is delivered.
26 August: Prince Bernhard resigns as Inspector-General of the armed forces over the Lockheed bribery affair.
June: the first F-16 is delivered; 213 are eventually bought.
11 July: two Dutch F-16s bomb Serb armour at Srebrenica before NATO calls off the strikes under threats to Dutch hostages.
24 March: Maj. Peter Tankink shoots down a Serbian MiG-29 with an AMRAAM on the first night of Operation Allied Force.
F-16s and a KDC-10 deploy to Manas, Kyrgyzstan, for Afghanistan; the mission lasts until 2014.
17 September: the government commits to 37 F-35As inside a 4.5 billion euro cap.
3 June: a Dutch F-16 strike on an Islamic State bomb factory in Hawija, Iraq, kills at least 70 civilians; Parliament is told in 2019.
31 October: the first operational Dutch F-35A lands at Leeuwarden.
26 September: the F-35 reaches full operational capability; 27 September: the F-16 is retired after 45 years.
1 July: the command is renamed Commando Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten, the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force. In September Dutch F-35s shoot down Russian drones over Poland; on 3 November 18 former Dutch F-16s pass to Romania for one euro.
Every war the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force has fought
Výpady a ztráty tam, kde je statistika udává, a poctivá prázdnota tam, kde ne.
- The German invasion of the Netherlands 1940 The Luchtvaartbrigade fought the Luftwaffe’s invasion with about 125 serviceable aircraft, attacking the German airborne landings and their transport fleet
- The defence of the Netherlands East Indies 1941–1942 The army air arm of the Netherlands East Indies (ML-KNIL) fought the Japanese invasion with bombers and fighters alongside Allied air units, then evacuated what it could to Australia
- Dutch squadrons with the RAF 1940–1945 Dutch airmen who escaped in 1940 flew in their own squadrons within the RAF: two naval squadrons in Coastal Command and later the 2nd Tactical Air Force, and a Dutch Spitfire squadron from 1943
- The Indonesian War of Independence 1945–1949 The ML-KNIL and air force transports supported Dutch attempts to restore colonial rule against the Indonesian Republic, flying ground attack, reconnaissance and transport, and supporting airborne raids
- The defence of Netherlands New Guinea 1958–1962 An air force detachment provided the air defence of Biak from 1958; from 1960 322 Squadron’s Hunters formed the fighter element of a New Guinea air defence command
Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force and the aircraft it flies. Tento seznam se obnovuje sám – nové příběhy Afterburneru se zde zobrazují automaticky.
Everything people ask about the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force
What is the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force called now?
What aircraft does the Dutch air force fly in 2026?
Does the Netherlands still fly the F-16?
How many F-35s does the Netherlands have?
Why was the Dutch F-35 purchase so controversial?
When did the Dutch air force begin?
What happened to the Dutch air force in May 1940?
Were there Dutch squadrons in the RAF?
What was the ML-KNIL?
Did the Dutch air force fight in New Guinea?
Did a Dutch F-16 shoot down a MiG-29?
What did Dutch F-16s do at Srebrenica?
What was the Hawija strike?
Does the Netherlands have nuclear weapons at Volkel?
Where are the Dutch air force bases?
Who commands the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force?
How many people serve in the Dutch air force?
What happened to the Dutch F-16s after retirement?
Does the Dutch air force fly drones?
Which Dutch aircraft replace the C-130 and the Cougar?
Is the Defence Helicopter Command part of the air force?
What was the Lockheed affair?
What fighters did the Dutch fly before the F-16?
Who guards Dutch airspace?
How much does the Netherlands spend on defence?
Read the aircraft the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force flew
Každý typ se stránkou v Knize zvířat, nejprve v provozu a poté v roce, kdy opustil flotilu.
Každý fakt, ověřený
- Koninklijke Luchtmacht — Defensie.nlofficial service page
- Commandant Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten — Defensie.nlcommander Lt. Gen. André Steur since 14 April 2023; role
- Geschiedenis van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht — Defensie.nlofficial history outline: 1913, 1938, May 1940, 1953, 1962, 1991, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya
- Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force — english.defensie.nlcurrent English name
- Luchtmacht verder als Commando Lucht- en Ruimtestrijdkrachten — Defensie.nl news, 1 July 2025rename, ceremony at the Nationaal Militair Museum, first radar satellite
- Vliegtuigen en helikopters — Defensie.nllist of current types
- F-35 Lightning II — Defensie.nlin service since autumn 2019; Leeuwarden, Volkel, Luke AFB; F-35A variant; exercises
- Kamerstuk 26488 nr. 478: 25th and final F-35 progress report, 4 June 202557 total, 40 delivered by end 2024, 8 in 2025, rest by 2028; FOC 26 September 2024
- The War Zone: last Viper commander on the retirement of the Dutch F-16 (27 September 2024)213 F-16s in two orders, MLU, first flight 3 May 1979, retirement
- MQ-9 Reaper — Defensie.nl8 aircraft, 4 ground stations, 306 Squadron, Romania 2024, armament by 2028
- Apache AH-64 — Defensie.nlAH-64E conversion 2025, 301 and 302 Squadrons
- CH-47F Chinook — Defensie.nl298 Squadron, 302 Squadron at Fort Hood
- NH90 — Defensie.nlDe Kooy, extra NH90s 2030, mid-life update 2028
- Cougar — Defensie.nl300 SOS, H225M from 2030 to 2032
- C-130 Hercules — Defensie.nlG-273, G-275, G-781, G-988; C-390 end 2027 to 2029
- Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer — Defensie.nlWoensdrecht; PC-7 MKX May to September 2027
- Vliegbases en luchtmachtonderdelen — Defensie.nllist of bases and units
- Hoofdkwartier luchtmacht — Defensie.nlHQ in Breda, directorates, Luchtmachtraad
- Vliegbasis Eindhoven — Defensie.nlC-130, Gulfstream, MMU, EATC, MCCE; KDC-10 history (per earlier fetch)
- Vliegbasis Volkel — Defensie.nlBenelux QRA shared since 1 January 2017
- Vliegbasis Leeuwarden — Defensie.nl322, 323 and 306 Squadrons (fetched 28 Sep 2026 by the stations run)
- Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen — Defensie.nlDefence Helicopter Command, 298, 300, 301 Squadrons (fetched 28 Sep 2026 by the stations run)
- Vliegbasis Woensdrecht — Defensie.nl131 Squadron PC-7, air depot (fetched 28 Sep 2026 by the stations run)
- Maritiem Vliegkamp De Kooy — Defensie.nl860 Squadron NH90 (fetched 28 Sep 2026 by the stations run)
- Vliegbasis Deelen — Defensie.nlhelicopter training field, no based unit (fetched 28 Sep 2026 by the stations run)
- MilAIP Netherlands 09/26, AD part 1 — DefensieDe Peel closed; Deelen, Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, De Kooy aerodrome data
- MilAIP Netherlands 09/26, AD part 2 — DefensieLeeuwarden, Volkel and Woensdrecht aerodrome data
- Blauw and Fleuren, “Hunters van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht in Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea”, Militaire Spectator, July 196212 Hunter F.4 by carrier from May 1960; first sortie at Biak 21 October 1960
- 20 jaar in Afghanistan — Defensie.nlManas 2002, Kandahar 2004, more than 10,000 F-16 missions, 25 deaths, end June 2021
- Verhalen uit de Meidagen van 1940 — Defensie.nlmore than 2,300 Dutch servicemen killed in May 1940
- Encyclopedie internationale operaties — NIMHoperation start dates: air weapon over Bosnia 12 April 1993, Allied Force 24 March 1999, Unified Protector 23 March 2011, Baltic F-16 mission from Poland 5 September 2014
- NOS: NAVO-rapport noemt Volkel als opslagplaats kernwapens, 16 July 2019NATO parliamentary draft report naming Volkel; government neither confirms nor denies
- The Hague Summit Declaration, NATO, 25 June 20255 per cent of GDP by 2035, 3.5 per cent core defence
- Algemene Rekenkamer — DefensieJSF audits: financial processes 2018 (invoice errors), lessons 2019
- Algemene Rekenkamer: Lessen van de JSF, 6 March 2019more than 20 years of monitoring; 85 to 37; board the bus or let it pass
- Bewindspersonen — Rijksoverheid.nlMinister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius; State Secretary Derk Boswijk; PM Rob Jetten
- eAIP Netherlands (LVNL), AIRAC AMDT 09-2026, effective 3 September 2026, EHTW Twente AD 2Civil AIP; used for Twente (EHTW) reference point, elevation and runway. Values from the first research run of 28 September 2026; the AD 2 page itself sits inside the edition’s frame set.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis LeeuwardenF-35 base; MQ-9 Reaper from 2022; Weapons Instructor Course; part of Air Combat Command.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Leeuwarden, geschiedenisOfficial aerodrome 1938; Luftwaffe in WWII; taken over from KLM 1949; Meteor to 1956, Hunter to 1964, F-104, first F-16 base 1979.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Leeuwarden, squadrons322 (formed 12 June 1943 in England), 323 (15 November 1948, ACDC), 306 (1953, reactivated September 2018, MQ-9).
- Defensie: Vliegbasis VolkelF-35 base; Benelux QRA shared with Belgium since 1 January 2017, rotating with Leeuwarden.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Volkel, geschiedenisGerman runways August 1940; Market Garden 1944; Eerste Tactische Vliegbasis 1951; 327, 328, 311, 312 Squadrons; 306 in 1953; F-104 1965; F-16 1982-86; 313 first F-35 squadron 2022.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Volkel, squadrons312 (1951; F-16 1984 to September 2024, now F-35) and 313 (1952; F-16 1988-2021, F-35 since 2022; moved from Twenthe December 2005).
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Eindhoven (Air Mobility Command)C-130, Gulfstream, A330 MRTT of the Multinational MRTT Unit (six NATO partners); EATC and MCCE.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Eindhoven, geschiedenisCivil field Welschap 1932; air force since 1952 (314, 315, 316 Squadrons); 334 from Soesterberg May 1992; KDC-10 retired end 2021.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Eindhoven, squadrons334 Squadron (Gulfstream IV per this page) and 336 Squadron (C-130).
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Gilze-RijenHelicopter base of the air force; Defence Helicopter Command; Apache, Chinook, Cougar.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen, historieMilitary flying from 11 August 1913 (Lt Versteegh); Luftwaffe 16 May 1940; NF-5 1972; F-16 1991 to 1 July 1995; Apache 1996; DHC July 2008.
- Defensie: squadrons Defensie Helikopter Commando298 (CH-47F), 300 SOS (Cougar), 301 (AH-64E), 860 (NH90, De Kooy), 302 (Fort Hood) and support squadrons.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Woensdrecht (Air Support Command)Training aircraft of the air force; Royal Air Education and Training Center; Air Depot and Program Management.
- Defensie: Vliegbasis Woensdrecht, squadrons131 Squadron (elementary and advanced pilot training); 980-983 Squadrons (depot maintenance and supply).
- Defensie: Vliegbasis DeelenPart of DHC; helicopter exercise field for 11 Airmobile Brigade and special forces.
- Defensie: Maritiem Vliegkamp De KooyHome of the NH90; founded 1918; closed after bombing 1944; concrete runway 1960; shared with civil users since the 1980s.
- Nationaal Militair Museum: Fliegerhorst Soesterberg 1940-1945German use of Soesterberg 1940-1945, including heavy bombers sent against London.
- The Aviationist: Dutch Government says their F-35 fighter jets could carry nuclear weapons (17 January 2014)Ministry reply to a parliamentary motion: the nuclear task is a NATO commitment.
- The Aviationist: The F-35s Will Take Over The Netherlands’ Nuclear Role Within NATO Starting Tomorrow (31 May 2024)Transition on 1 June 2024; Dutch MoD statement on NATO nuclear deterrence.
- The Aviationist: The Royal Netherlands Air Force has declared its F-35A operational (27 December 2021)IOC 27 December 2021; 24 delivered; 55 pilots, 262 maintainers; eighth country; Lauderdale quote.
- Soesterberg Movements: F-86F serial listing27 F-86Fs delivered 1 November 1954 to the 512th Fighter Day Squadron; 32nd activated 8 September 1955; 25th anniversary 16 November 1979.
- Defensie: Gulfstream G650ERV-117, 334 Squadron, Eindhoven; built 2014; 15 passengers.
- NATO: Strategic airliftMMF: Chicago 2012; launched 2016; first delivery June 2020; IOC March 2023; Denmark and Sweden June 2025; FOC March 2026; MOB Eindhoven, FOB Cologne, Karup to follow; 11th and 12th aircraft 2028–2029.
- NATO: NATO Allies expand strategic airlift capacity (7 July 2026)Finland joins the MMF; nine members; 10th A330 MRTT imminent; full capacity 12.
- F-16.net: 316 Squadron RNLAFFormed at Eindhoven 1952; F-84G, F-84F 1956, NF-5A 1971, F-16A 1991; disbanded 1 April 1994 after the 1993 Defence White Paper; falcon badge and motto.
- F-16.net: 314 Squadron RNLAFFormed at Eindhoven 1952; NF-5A 1970; at Gilze-Rijen by 1988; disbanded 6 July 1995.
- Eindhoven Airport: OrganisationAnnounces closure from 1 February to 19 July 2027 for runway renovation.
- The Aviationist: Dutch Say Farewell To AH-64D Apache Helicopters (18 January 2024)12 AH-64As leased; 30 AH-64Ds ordered May 1995, delivered 1998–2002; Q-20 lost August 2004; Q-15 lost in Mali (dated March 2014, which conflicts with other sources); 28 remanufactured.
Figures verified 2026-09-28. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Defensie / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Mediacentrum Defensie – Jan Dijkstra / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Dutch Ministry of Defence – Mike De Graaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: MarcelX42 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Mark Harkin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Defensie Nederland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Steve Lynes from Sandshurst, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Alf van Beem / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Ank Kumar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Tim Felce / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: AlfvanBeem / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Alf van Beem / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Jim.van.de.Burgt / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: calflier001 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Onbekend / Koninklijke Luchtmacht / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Marine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Fotograaf Onbekend / DLC / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: USAAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Fokker factories / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Vliegbasis Soesterberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Collectie Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Luchtmacht / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Collectie Van Beek / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Jemr69 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Aleem Yousaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)