Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024

Dutch F-35s To Conduct NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert Missions Over BENELUX, Replacing F-16s

NATO’s Allied Air Command announced the Royal Netherlands Air Force was retiring its F-16s from the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions in favor of its F-35s beginning from March 30th 2024. The QRA missions fall under NATO’s airspace policing activities over the airspace of the BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). This arrangement hence allows operational control for the missions to be integrated with the NATO’s nearby Combined Air Operations Centre located at Uedem in Germany.

It is the first time that the QRA missions will devolve solely to the F-35 fifth generation combat aircraft. Since 1981, the Royal Netherlands Air Force had always assigned a pair of F-16s combat jets for these air intercept alert duties. On January 25th 2024, the BENELUX QRA missions saw for the first two RNAF F-35s take part in the QRA missions but always in combination with two Belgian Air Force F-16s based at Kleine-Brogel or Florennes air bases.

Even though the concept will remain the same, the new missions will now see exclusively, a pair of F-35s based at either of the RNAF Leeuwarden or Volkel air bases, kept ready to scramble at a moment’s notice. According to the NATO announcement, the Netherlands Air Operations Control Station in Nieuw Milligen has direct control over the QRA flights.

On May 9th, the BENELUX QRA missions which are rotated between Belgium and the Netherlands, will revert back to the Belgium Air Force under the supervisory responsibility of the Control and Reporting Center (CRC) in Beauvechain.

Since January 2017, BENELUX Air Policing for the airspace of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg has allowed Belgian and Dutch Air Component to maintain around the clock QRA fighter jets as part of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.

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