First flights F-020 and F-021

On 24 August 2021, the latest Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal netherlands Air Force) Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II with serial F-020 (construction number AN-20) made its first flight at Cameri air base (Italy).

One day later, on 25 August 2021, F-021 (c/n AN-21) made its first flight.

Production of KLu F-35As is running at a steady page. The first eight aircraft were produced with Lockheed Martin at Fort Worth (TX), the remainder are produced at the Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) line in Cameri.

Serials F-001 to F-008 are operated by the 308th Fighter Squadron Emerald Knights at Luke AFB (AZ) for the training of future pilots. Serials F-009 to F-018 are operated by 322 Squadron at Leeuwarden air base. Serials F-019 to F-021 are still with FACO Cameri.

At this moment, 46 Lightnings have been ordered by the Netherlands. In order to be able to perform its tasks properly in the coming half of a century, the KLu hopes that more funds will become available to order more F-35As.

The F-35s that have made their first flight and/or have been delivered are given in the below mentioned overview. Scrambe Magazine still misses delivery dates (d/d) for Lightning IIs F-005 and F-008.  If you have information, please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LRIP III (Low Rate Initial Production)
F-001 308th FS (FMS 09-5008) f/f 6 August 2012, d/d 25 July 2013
LRIP IV
F-002 308th FS (FMS 10-5019) f/f 27 June 2013, d/d 1 August 2013
LRIP XI
F-003 308th FS (FMS 17-5302) f/f 15 December 2018, d/d 4 February 2019
F-004 308th FS (FMS 17-5303) f/f 8 January 2019, d/d 7 February 2019
F-005 308th FS (FMS 17-5304) f/f 23 January 2019, d/d not known
F-006 308th FS (FMS 17-5305) f/f 28 January 2019, d/d 6 March 2019
F-007 308th FS (FMS 17-5306) f/f 20 February 2019, d/d 12 March 2019
F-008 308th FS (FMS 17-5307) f/f 15 April 2019, d/d not known
F-009 322sq (FMS 17-5308) f/f 9 September 2019, d/d 31 Oct 2019
F-010 322sq (FMS 17-5309) f/f 4 November 2019, d/d 16 December 2019
Lot 12
F-011 322sq (FMS 18-5405) f/f 15 June 2020, d/d 14 July 2020
F-012 322sq (FMS 18-5406) f/f 18 June 2020, d/d 14 July 2020
F-013 322sq (FMS 18-5407) f/f 25 August 2020, d/d 27 October 2020
F-014 322sq (FMS 18-5408) f/f 2 September 2020, d/d 17 November 2020
F-015 322sq (FMS 18-5409) f/f 10 December 2020, d/d 24 December 2020
F-016 322sq (FMS 18-5410) f/f 26 January 2021, d/d 17 February 2021
F-017 322sq (FMS 18-5411) f/f 2 March 2021, d/d 25 March 2021
F-018 322sq (FMS 18-5412) f/f 12 May 2021, d/d 25 May 2021
Lot 13
F-019 FACO (FMS 19-5522) f/f 23 July 2021
F-020 FACO (FMS 19-5523) f/f 24 August 2021
F-021 FACO (FMS 19-5224) f/f 25 August 2021

Photo by Almos Castellazzi / PSC Piti Spotter Club.