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Changes at Volkel, The Netherlands
CHANGES AT VOLKEL AB
On 30 June 2022, the Royal Netherlands Air Force ("Koninklijke Luchtmacht") celebrated three big changes for Volkel AB: The organizational change into the 'Air
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Combat Command' The resurrection of 313 squadron The arrival of the Lockheed Martin F-35
Lightning II
CHANGES AT VOLKEL AB
ARTICLE BY JORIS VAN BOVEN
Air Combat Command
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has two operational fighter bases, Leeuwarden AB in the north and Volkel AB in the south, plus the fighter control center AOCS (Air Operations Control Station) based at Nieuw-Milligen, located in the center of the Netherlands. All three organizations ceased to exist as separate entities
on June 30th and they were combined into one command, the “Air Combat Command”, under the command of Commodore Johan van Deventer. The RNLAF commander Lieutenant General Dennis Luyt handed over the new "Air Combat Command" banner to the new AAC commander Commodore Johan van Deventer.
Handover of the banner of the new Air Combat Command to its new commander.
With the official arrival of the Lockheed Martin F-35, Volkel AB now has two squadrons with two fighter jet types. 312 squadron is flying the Lockheed Martin F-16 and 313 squadron the F-35. For the next two years, 312 squadron will keep on flying the F-16 and then, they will convert to the F-35 after the retirement of their F-16s.
Piloted by Lt. Col. Niels Hussen, the F-35 (coded F-024) taxis to the place of the ceremony.
The 313 squadron is the Dutch Tiger squadron, present at many NATO TigerMeets throughout the years. On 18 December 2020, the 313 squadron was temporarily disbanded and stopped flying the Lockheed Martin F-16. With a formation flyby, this moment was celebrated (see next pages). Then, the pilots and the crews converted to the Lockheed Martin F-35 at Leeuwarden AB. On 30 June 2022, the 313 squadron was resurrected as an F-35 squadron at its home base Volkel AB. Lieutenant-Colonel Niels Hussen flew the F-35 (coded F-024) in a formation of four F-35s and taxied after landing to the ceremonial location. There, he held a speech to celebrate the resurrection of the 313 squadron.
