A dozen F-35 fighter jets from the Royal Netherlands Air Force are on their way to the United States to take part in an intensive three-week training program.
The aircraft, which took off towards Mountain Home Air Base, in the state of Idaho, will be part of an annual exercise aimed at preparing forces to defend the area covered by the NATO treaty.
During training, pilots and support crews will hone their skills in the advanced use of the F-35’s weapons, including precision strike operations — such as controlled bombings — and missions in simulated war environments.
In these situations, crews will face realistic challenges such as simulated attacks, electronic interference and low-altitude flights to evade enemy radars.
Logistical support and aerial refueling
The mission also has the support of four Airbus A330 MRTT tankers, responsible for carrying out in-flight refueling of the F-35s during the crossing of the Atlantic.
The aircraft belong to the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU), a joint NATO unit dedicated to transport and air support. All of them have already stopped in the Azores before heading to the United States.
Training on American soil
The exercises are conducted in the US because Dutch airspace offers few areas suitable for the use of live weapons. In Mountain Home, crews have more complete infrastructure and vast training areas, which allows them to simulate more complex and realistic combat scenarios.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, this type of training is essential to ensure that pilots and crews maintain the highest level of readiness, directly contributing to the collective security of the Atlantic Alliance.
Source and images: Dutch Ministry of Defense. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
