Farewell flight of Dutch F‑16s as they head to Ukraine
The Dutch Ministry of Defence released footage of the final flight of eight F-16 AM/BM aircraft over the Netherlands. Here, we highlight the performance of these machines, which will spend their "retirement" in Ukraine.
On 27 September, 2024, the Netherlands officially bid farewell to the F-16 after 45 years of service, marked by a formation flight of eight aircraft over the country.
Nevertheless, this is not the end for these aircraft, as they will undergo modifications before being sent to Ukraine, where they will spend their "retirement" hunting Russian aircraft. Meanwhile, Dutch airspace is now guarded by F-35 aircraft, which have also recently received certification for carrying nuclear weapons.
F-16AM/BM — relics of the Cold War moving to Ukraine
The Netherlands became a user of F-16 aircraft on 6 June, 1979, when the first aircraft arrived at Leeuwarden airbase. The Netherlands ordered the aircraft in the F-16A/B versions, with A representing the single-seat variant and B the two-seat variant. Over the years, these machines protected the airspace of the Netherlands and other NATO countries. Unfortunately, as is often the case, there were accidents. For the Netherlands, this meant 45 incidents, leading to the irrecoverable loss of 15 F-16 aircraft (some damaged machines were successfully repaired, hence the low number).
There were 44 accidents involving these types of fighter aircraft. Some machines were refurbished, but 36 ended up as total losses. In total, the Air Force lost 15 F-16 aircraft in 45 accidents.
During their service in the 1990s, these aircraft received the Mid-Life Update (MLU) modernization package, which included the integration of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with a range of around 97 kilometres, depending on the version. It also entailed the installation of a new radar to facilitate their use. These updated machines were designated as F-16A/B MLU or F-16AM/BM.
However, this standard does not meet the requirements of the modern battlefield. Therefore, the aircraft are being further modified before delivery to Ukraine, and it is likely that some equipment reserved exclusively for NATO countries is being removed. It is unlikely that the aircraft will be sent to Ukraine with, for example, the NATO Identification Friend or Foe system.
Regarding weaponry, there have been reports of integrating French AASM Hammer guided bombs with the F-16 aircraft. In Ukraine, aircraft have been spotted with AN/ASQ-213 HTS targeting pods, allowing the full potential of weapons such as AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles or JDAM-ER and Paveway bombs to be realized. Consequently, the Ukrainians will receive a hybrid with performance between the F-16C/D Block 52+ and the F-16A/B MLU.
