MILAVIA - MILITARY AVIATION

Aircraft/Inventory

Fixed-wing aircraft

Type:	Number:	Role:
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon	137 105 87	fighter, attack, recce
Pilatus PC-7	13	training
KDC-10	2	tanker, transport
DC-10	1	transport
C-130H-30 Hercules	2	transport
C-130H Hercules *	2 *	transport
Fokker 60UTA-N	4	transport, medevac
Fokker 50	2	transport, medevac, VIP
G.1159C Gulfstream IV	1	VIP
Total number:	110

* = on order, ** = includes aircraft on order

Of the 213 F-16A/Bs originally acquired, 138 were upgraded under the Mid-Life Update program. One MLU was lost, leaving the RNLAF with 137 aircraft at the end of the program. Defense cuts of 2003 subsequently decreased the number of F-16A/B MLU fighters from 137 to 108. The surplus MLU aircraft were sold to Chile (11x F-16AM, 7x F-16BM) and Jordan (5x F-16AM,6x F-16BM).
Further defence cuts lead to additional retirements. At the moment only 87 remain in service, 14 aircraft are permanently based at Springfield ANGB in Ohio, US, one F-16BM is a dedicated test aircraft with the KTV and 72 are assigned to NATO. Chile expressed interest to buy an additional 14 F-16AM and two F-16BM from RNLAF surplus.
It has been decided that more could be sold off, leaving 72 aircraft in service with just three squadrons assigned to NATO. From this we can conclude that it is very likely that fewer than the reported 85 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will eventually be acquired.

One DC-10 transport was acquired to join the two KDC-10 tanker-transports in order to increase the availability of the latter for the aerial refuelling mission. Although the DC-10 arrived at Eindhoven AB on October 25, 2004, it did not enter service until after having received a major overhaul. The work was carried by Alitalia at Rome-Fiumicino between September 2005 and May 2006. Having returned to Eindhoven AB, it made a limited number of flights until it relocated to Woensdrecht in autumn 2007 for interior outfitting and a Cockpit Upgrade Programme (CUP), carried out by Fokker Services in cooperation with Boeing. Due to budget constraints the planned Palletized Interior System has been cancelled and a decision on its interior is expected soon. The CUP work on the two KDC-10s is scheduled to start in late 2009 and in 2010 respectively. All three DC-10s carry a two-tone grey colour scheme, replacing the grey-blue-white scheme previously carried by the two KDC-10s. The RNLAF plans called for the acquisition of four additional, second-hand C-130H Hercules medium transports to fill the gap in its transport capabilities while retiring the Fokker 60UTA-N. The first two aircraft to fulfill this plan had been bought (former US Navy EC-130Qs) in 2005. In April 2006 the aircraft arrived at Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, UK, to be overhauled and rebuilt to C-130H standard. The aircraft were originally scheduled to enter service in 2008, however due to difficulties in obtaining parts and unforeseen additional work this has been delayed. The first C-130H should be operational with 336 Sqn by late 2009, with the second example following in early 2010. They will join the two existing C-130H-30s, which have been repainted in an overal grey scheme, losing the previous two-tone grey camouflage.

Two of the Fokker 60UTA-N aircraft were put into storage at Woensdrecht AB and are up to sale. The other two were converted to MPA for martime duties on the Dutch Antilles, which lasted until October 2007. The two MPAs have since returned home and were also put into storage at Woensdrecht.

Considering the delays concerning the work neccessary to return previously stored aircraft into service, it seems unlikely that the RNLAF will acquire a further two C-130Hs, especially since having joined the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability which will give the RNLAF a share of the program's C-17 flying hours once they are delivered.

Rotary-wing aircraft

Type:	Number:	Role:
AH-64D Apache	30 29	Attack
AS 352U2 Cougar Mk.II	17	Transport
CH-47D Chinook	13 11	Transport
CH-47F Chinook *	6 *	Transport
SE3160S Alouette III	4	VIP, liasion
AB-412SP	3	SAR, medevac
Total number:	70

* = on order, ** = includes aircraft on order

One AH-64D Apache crashed in Afghanistan due to pilot error. Aircraft written off. The ministry of defence planned to sell six AH-64Ds, these plans have now been abandoned. The U.S. DOD was the primary potential customer, but recently it was dediced to order new-built Apaches for the U.S. Army instead. The RNLAF will now retain all Apaches, but only 24 of the helicopters are being fitted with the Lockheed Martin Arrowhead M-TADS/PNVS system.
Despite having been on the air force's wish list for almost a decade, none of the AH-64D Apache were fitted with the Longbow radar, as found on the -D versions of most other operators, and there seem to be no plans to acquire it.

Two of the 13 CH-47D Chinooks have crashed in Afghanistan and have been written off. Initially, the procurement of five additional Chinooks had been approved, as well as the upgrade of the eleven remaining CH-47Ds. On February 15, 2007, six new-built Boeing CH-47Fs were ordered with reports suggesting that the upgrade of the existing fleet might be postponed to 2013. The six CH-47Fs will not be delivered between July 2009 and January 2010 as originally planned due to software problems. Deliveries are now anticipated to start between December 2009 and April 2010, with the sixth and final helicopter to be delivered no more than six months later.

Other Equipment

Type:	Number:	Role:
MIM-104 Patriot systems	4 3*	ground-based air defense
Stinger	transferred to the Army	man portable air defense

It was decided that one Patriot system could be sold off. Remainder will be upgraded to PAC-III. Army and Air Force air defenses have been consolidated at De Peel under the Joint Air Defense Centrum. The Stinger MANPADs were transferred to the Army, which also received the recently ordered Norwegian-built NASAMS II short range air defense launchers.