(Photo: RNoAF)Īt this time of writing, it is unknown if the two deals with Draken International only include single-seat F-16As or, more probably, also dual-seaters F-16Bs. File photo of a Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16B in flight. Other than Draken, the government is looking to sell as many of the remaining F-16s as possible to allied countries. As for the Netherlands, only one RNoAF unit is still operating the Viper, the 331 skv at Bodø Air Base. Regarding for the Norwegian contract, the Forsvarsmateriell (Norwegian Defense Material Agency) has been working since 2019 to decide what to do with the Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s as they get retired this month and fully replaced by the F-35. Draken has also been offered the option to acquire an additional 28 F-16s from these batches.
DRAKEN PLANE FULL
The remaining F-16s will be retired in batches from 2022 to 2024/2025, when the F-35 is expected to reach the Full Operational Capability and take over the roles of the F-16. The squadron is the last unit to operate the Viper as the other squadrons are gradually moving to the F-35 Lightning II. The F-16 is currently operated in the RNLAF by only one unit, the 312 Squadron at Volkel Air Base. The Falcons will come out of the F-16 End Life of Type (ELOT) program after the Dutch retire their F-16s starting in 2022. 29, 2021, that an interdepartmental Defense Materiel Sales Committee, consisting of representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence, approved the sale of 12 F-16s to Draken International.
As we reported earlier this year, the Dutch Parliament was informed on Jun. The sale of the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s was already expected. The exact timeline is not yet known as the transfer has to be first approved by U.S., Dutch and Norwegian authorities and some classified systems need to be removed before the aircraft can be delivered to Draken.
The company is set to receive 12 aircraft from each country as they get retired from 2022. The 24 Vipers will join the company’s fleet of fighter jets used for the Combat Air Force/Contracted Air Support (CAF/CAS) program in the US.ĭraken International announced last week two contracts to acquire a fleet of second-hand F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Netherlands and Norway.
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