Polly Grey @Frisian Lightning II, Becoming a Jedi

[redskin301]

From Monday, November 9, 2020, the exercise Frisian Lightning II started at Volkel Air Base. During this exercise, the new F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft from Leeuwarden Air Base were sent to a domestic deployment for the first time in the Dutch history of this aircraft. At the end of the afternoon, the four brand new F-35A Lightning II fighters landed at Volkel Air Base. The landing of these aircraft attracted the attention of aircraft spotters who were ready to welcome the aircraft. The exercise would last until Friday November 20, when the aircraft will fly back to Leeuwarden. The aircraft will fly two waves per day during the exercise. The first wave will take place in the afternoon and will be flown in daylight. The second wave is flown in the darkness of the evening. The flights will take about an hour and a half each time. The intention is that during these flights as many F-35s as possible will be launched in order to train as much as possible. The entire detachment from Leeuwarden consists of about 150 men and women. The pilots who participate in this exercise are all qualified; they are all trained on the F-35 and all have years of experience on the F-16. Previously, the logistics, IT and security departments of the squadron already practiced at Leeuwarden Air Base during the exercise Frisian Lightning I. Here they trained in packing and preparing ground equipment and spare parts. therefore this exercise was a dry run in preparation for a real move. The experiences and lessons learned from that exercise are now applied in this second exercise. This time it concerns a transfer to another air base within the Netherlands.

During this exercise, the 322 Squadron from Leeuwarden will be based temporary at Volkel. This exercise focuses on the logistical relocation of the unit and is part of the step-by-step plan that will lead to an initial deployment capacity of the squadron at the end of 2021. The exercise, called Frisian Lightning II, is the second in a series of exercises. The exercise is therefore part of the so-called “Road To Initial Operational Capability” (R2IOC). Where the Royal Netherlands Air Force knows exactly what to bring along with the F-16 Fighting Falcon and what the packing plan looks like, this is all new with the F-35A Lightning II. What should personnel do with it during the deployment, does it fit in a container and is everything in order administratively? During this exercise, one will try out how to do this with this new weapon system in practice. A roadmap has been prepared by the Royal Netherlands Air Force for the full introduction of the F-35 to the unit. This roadmap started from the arrival of the first aircraft at Leeuwarden at the end of 2019 and will continue until the IOC is achieved at the end of 2021. One of the steps is this relocation exercise that takes place at Volkel. In addition, the Royal Netherlands Air Force is continuously taking steps, such as further building up the squadron and continuous training of personnel (pilots, technicians, armaments, IT staff). The facets of flying such as night flying ops, loading and dropping training bombs are also part of the R2IOC. If the unit achieves Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by the end of 2021, it means that the 322 Squadron will be able to deploy a unit of four F-35s including personnel and equipment for a short period of time anywhere in the world. The next step is a similar deployment exercise abroad. Then personnel will find out whether the RNLAF has everything ready when the national borders are crossed.