The 322 Squadron is the oldest operational fighter unit of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The history of this F-35A Lightning II unit goes back to the Second World War. The unit was established on June 12, 1943. The squadron was previously known as the no 167 Squadron. After moving to RAF Woodvale near Liverpool the unit was renamed as the 322 Dutch Spitfire Squadron. The squadron moved to RAF Hawkinge near Dover on December 27, 1943. The 322 Squadron carried out several attacks on targets in France from this airfield. The unit was also used to escort bombers and to intercept V-1 missiles. The unit was equipped with the newer Spitfire XIV during its move to RAF Acklington in 1944. However, the unit did not stay here long, as it soon moved to RAF Hartford Bridge and later to West Malling. The unit flew various missions during the battle of Arnhem. The unit received a new squadron mascot during this period. It was the African Gray Parrot. This parrot was also depicted in the squadron emblem. The parrot became known as Polly Gray and that was immediately the new name of the unit. The squadron’s spell was “Niet Praten Maar Doen” by this bird (Don’t Talk But Act). The arrival of this parrot was a moral boost for the personnel of the unit during the Second World War. In August 1944 the unit received the new Spitfire LF IXb at Deanland Air Base. This variant of the Spitfire was extremely suitable for defending the own ground troops. The unit was moved from airport to airport several times at the end of the war. Eventually the squadron moved back to England where it was disbanded on October 6, 1945.
The unit would not remain disbanded for long, as on September 27, 1946, the 322 Squadron was re-established as part of the current Royal Netherlands Air Force. The unit was re-established at Twenthe Air Base and equipped with the Spitfire IX. Barely 2 years later the unit left for the Dutch East Indies. On October 4, 1949 the unit was brought back to Twenthe Air Base again. Here the unit was temporarily disbanded until it was re-established on February 1, 1951. The unit moved to Soesterberg Air Base on August 31, where it was equipped with the Meteor Mk.8. The Meteor was the first jet fighter in the service of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. In January 1958 it was switched to the Hunter F4. During the crisis in Dutch New Guinea the squadron was sent to Biak. The unit operated there from August 6, 1960 with 12 Hunters and 2 Allouette II helicopters. The squadron stayed on Biak until October 1, 1962, after which it returned to the Netherlands on October 5 and was put on hold. On April 1, 1964, the unit is re-established at Leeuwarden Air Base. From that moment on the unit would fly with the F-104G Starfighter. This aircraft entered service with the Air Force in the air defense role. On May 1, 1981 the no 322 Squadron is the first unit to be equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the Netherlands. The unit will also be given a number of new tasks such as those of close air support. The no 322 Squadron flies the F-16A/B for many years until it was the first unit to receive the MidLife Update (MLU) F-16 in 1998. The MLU F-16 is a modernized variant of the F-16A/B and can therefore also be used at night. This F-16 variant can also carry much more modern weapons such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. In 1999 the no 322 Squadron is the first unit to shoot down an enemy aircraft with the F-16. The plane took out a MiG-29 that tried to disrupt the bombing. Due to this occurrence, the J-063 now carries a MiG-29 silhouette under the cockpit. With the receival of the first F-35A in 2019, the 322 Squadron would become the first unit to enter operational unit of the Royal Netherlands Air Force with the Lightning II. In the meantime, the unit is fully engaged in the route to operational deployment. This is expected to take place within a year.
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