Will De Peel air base be re-activated?
The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating how to expand its operational footprint following earlier base closures of Soesterberg, Valkenburg and Twenthe amidst the continued deterioration of the global security situation.
The Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) plans a series of F-35A Lightning II flights to De Peel air base on 17 October 2022, so-called experience flights. During these flights, the Lightning II will fly different routes to and from the base, but there will be no take-offs or landings as the runway is not yet suitable for the F-35A.
The main reason for choosing De Peel air base, is that because of the deteriorating security situation in the world, the KLu needs more room for training and exercise flights, but the MoD has little room to expand the number of flights. All air bases are ‘full’ or almost full.
De Peel air base was founded as a reserve and diversion airfield in 1954 with two parallel runways, but it was not used as an active air base, even though the installation was expanded for possible NATO use in 1973. The reconnaissance unit 306 Squadron, based at Volkel air base, deployed each year for a number of weeks to De Peel as this was their designated air base in case of a war.
The base was closed as an operational air base in 1993, when it became the home of the KLu's Groep Geleide Wapens (GGW; Guided Weapons Groups), which is now the sole user of the base. In March 2012, the ground-based air defence (GBAD) base was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Army and renamed the Lieutenant General Best Barracks, but it is still commonly referred to as De Peel.
The MoD intends to reopen De Peel as an active air base in 2024 at the earliest, but it has confirmed that it will only invest in the base – including the renovation of its runway – once it has obtained the necessary permits and the airport decision has taken effect. As per the plan, twelve F-35As will be permitted to carry out 1,800 take-offs and 1,800 landings from De Peel each year, constituting 3,600 flight movements over a period of 24 weeks per annum.
Starting on 31 October 2022, De Peel will be used in exercise Falcon Autumn which will bring more than thirty helicopters to the air base for a period of three weeks. See SIS-summary for details on the participating forces.
Photo (just illustrative) by Han Kaap (Scramble Archive)