2022-2023-2024: the Dutch cabinet plan/suggestion to shift RNLAF KLu F16s to Eastern Europe, and MiGs to Ukraine...

[Stratofreighter]

...we shall see whether this plan will actually be carried out in reality in future...

Elsevier/EW does not do fake news, usually...

https://www.ewmagazine.nl/nederland/ach ... ne-909654/
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https://www-ewmagazine-nl.translate.goo ... r_pto=wapp

Cabinet wants to shift F-16s for Ukraine

09 November 2022

The cabinet is considering supplying surplus F-16s to Eastern European allies
so that they in turn can donate MiG fighter jets to Ukraine.

MPs have been confidentially informed about this plan,
writes weekly magazine EW in this week's edition.

According to a source, the transaction is still pending approval from Washington.

In total, 371.2 million worth of weapons went from the Netherlands to Ukraine in the past nine months.

This means that the Netherlands is not a frontrunner,
but it is a serious leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky, notes EW .
There is a trend towards heavier weapons.

Ukraine

Read Eric Vrijsen's story: These are the amounts and weapon systems that go to Ukraine

Ukraine ignores Dutch discretion
Ministers Wopke Hoekstra (CDA) of Foreign Affairs and Kajsa Ollongren (D66) of Defense emphatically do not mention which types of weapons are involved in deliveries to Ukraine. They fear that the Russians can plan their war better if they are aware of Ukraine's capabilities. EW describes how Ukraine sometimes ignores Dutch discretion: there the army command announces exactly which Dutch weapons are used.

This summer, Russian soldiers distributed videos of the interiors of seized YPR 765s, which Hoekstra and Ollongren had not even dared to tell the House that they were being delivered to Ukraine.

The United States – which supplies much more than European countries – also publish detailed overviews. There is the idea that you should give as much publicity as possible to the armaments in order to intimidate Russian leader Vladimir Putin and force him to retreat.

FVD and SP avoid briefings

Nov 9, 2022

https://www.ewmagazine.nl/nederland/ach ... ne-909654/
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https://www-ewmagazine-nl.translate.goo ... r_pto=wapp

[Alpha Kilo One]

Don't get it.
I thought they were already sold?

[Stratofreighter]

Don't get it.
I thought they were already sold?

...apparently not all airframes are already sold...

Not sure what technical condition most of the Dutch Vipers are now in.

https://magazines.defensie.nl/materieel ... lige-f-16s
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https://magazines-defensie-nl.translate ... r_pto=wapp

[JPS]

Don't get it.
I thought they were already sold?

The only airframes + spares/equipment sold recently were the 10 F-16's based on Tucson and 2 F-16B's from Volkel to Draken International. The majority of these airframes had undergone depot maintenance.

Draken International has an option on another 28 airframes, presumably the ones which are still active with 312sq.

Local Bulgarian media suggest that the airframes in question are already sold, so could be the 12 from the original order:

https://bulgaria.postsen.com/local/8079 ... r-Day.html

[Richard from Rotterdam]

In the end it's the US DoD that decides where our F-16s will go to. I think they have decided they are of much more use in Eastern Europe then as possible adversaries in the States.