Dutch reconaissance "306 Squadron" is to be activated again.

[Stratofreighter]

...but whether many people will be very enthusiastic about their new "aircraft"...?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/the306sq ... 4318745995

The name 306 Squadron will be active again.
AB Leeuwarden will host 4 UAV’s with a support group these are the results of a meeting 2 days ago held with the Air Force commander. That the squadron will be named the 306 Squadron is 99% sure.

[Flyboy]

So question is which type and when....

[jp 74]

MQ-9

Are you sure?
It was at the Volkel airshow so it might be true.

[Kleintje Pils]

Hi JP74, please see:

http://www.ga-asi.com/news_events/index ... d=1&id=418

I think 306 squadron is a logical choice seen it's photo reconnaissance role it had in the past.

[roberto]

But still no contract signed for the MQ-9's and i'm curious where they will train with these planes, because it is forbidden to fly with unmanned aircraft in Europe in civil airspace and that leaves only the TRA's above the Northsea.
But i doubt if this a good place to train as most targets they will be after in the future will be over land.
My gues is that the coming years we will not see any MQ-9 at Leeuwarden and that they will train permanently in the USA and will only be stationed at Leeuwarden on paper.

[Trabanti]

Why? 306 can reside with its pilots at Lwd while none of their UAV ever enters European airspace.. They might operate from Nellis, Creech, Kandahar, wherever. That's the beauty of drones isn't it?

[SquAdmin]

Why? 306 can reside with its pilots at Lwd while none of their UAV ever enters European airspace.. They might operate from Nellis, Creech, Kandahar, wherever. That's the beauty of drones isn't it?

The pilots can be in a remote location, but the maintenance crew really needs to touch the thing in order to keep it flying.

[Le Addeur noir]

Why? 306 can reside with its pilots at Lwd while none of their UAV ever enters European airspace.. They might operate from Nellis, Creech, Kandahar, wherever. That's the beauty of drones isn't it?

The pilots can be in a remote location, but the maintenance crew really needs to touch the thing in order to keep it flying.

Good for the officers,bad for the "erks",or other ranks tasked with maintenance.

[Flyboy]

But still no contract signed for the MQ-9's....... and that leaves only the TRA's above the Northsea.
But i doubt if this a good place to train as most targets they will be after in the future will be over land.

Actually I think that Leeuwarden is THE place to be, given the closest next hot spot: The arctic area


For detailed reading about the race for the arctic oil and gas...

This also explains the the rudged Russian attitude towards the Greenpeace activists and the unwillingness toward cooperating in the UN court in Hamburg.
Also refer tot the buildup in Nova Zembla: MiG-31´s http://forum.scramble.nl/viewtopic.php?p=601968
And the renewed reconnaissance by the Tu-95 Bears also fit into this scenario....

But for now