The Royal Netherlands Air Force inaugurated its first F-35 Lighting II squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., in a flag ceremony there last week. Number 323 Squadron furled its colors as an F-16 unit at Leeuwarden AB, Netherlands, on Nov. 4 and temporarily relocated to Eglin before heading to Edwards AFB, Calif., where it will conduct operational testing and evaluation for the Dutch F-35 program. “Performing OT&Es is a familiar task for 323 Squadron,” Eglin detachment commander Royal Netherlands Air Force Col. Bert de Smit, said in a release. The unit also handled the RLNAF operational testing of the F-16. “Now the squadron has been given the honourable task of preparing the defense organization for operations with an extremely versatile fifth-generation jet fighter,” he added. The Dutch plan to operate at least 37 F-35As. Two Dutch jets are currently flying at Eglin. The squadron is scheduled to move to Edwards at the end of the year.
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
