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The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu), is the aviation branch of the Netherlands defence forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on July 1, 1913, and it originally consisted of just 4 pilots.
In September 2005, the Air Force General Dick Berlijn was appointed as the first (Air Force?) commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Netherlands.
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Current Equipment
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The aircraft deployed include:
Fighters
Transport/refuelling
Attack helicopters
Transport helicopters
13 CH-47D Chinook (11 now operational, with two having been crashed in Afghanistan. Some purchased from the Canadian Forces in 1991. Nine CH-47F Chinooks are on order, an upgrade of 11 CH-47D Chinooks to the newer CH-47F configuration is also planned. Hence in the future, the RNLAF will have 20 CH-47F Chinooks.)
Pilot Trainers
The Dutch Air Force is also responsible for the deployment of the Ground Based Air Defense systems, surface-to-air missiles including:
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Large Main Operating Bases (MOBs)
322nd Sqn. F-16 Reaction Force Squadron
323rd Sqn. F-16 Tactical Squadron
630th Sqn. Operational Ground Squadron
920th Sqn. Maintenance Support Squadron
921st Sqn. Logistic Support Squadron
922nd Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
306th Sqn. F-16 Training Squadron
900th Sqn. F-16 Maintenance Support Squadron
901st Sqn. Transport and Storage Support Squadron
902nd Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
640th Sqn. Air Base Security Support Squadron
601st Sqn. Reserves Support Squadron
Air Base Twenthe, Enschede (Planned to be closed in 2007)
620th Sqn. Security Squadron
910th Sqn. F-16 Maintenance Support Squadron
911th Sqn. Transport and Storage Support Squadron
912th Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
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Tactical Helicopter Groups (THG) and Air Bases
THG Soesterberg (Planned to be closed in 2007, with the units to be moved to Gilze-Rijen)
610th Sqn. Security Squadron
932nd Sqn. Maintenance and Logistic Support Squadron
933rd Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
934th Sqn. Facility Management Support Squadron
604st Sqn. Reserves Support Squadron
670th Sqn. Security Squadron
930th Sqn. Communication and Information Support Squadron
931st Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
604st Sqn. Reserves Support Squadron
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Other Air Bases
334th Sqn. Transport Squadron
940th Sqn. Maintenance Support Squadron
941st Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
Royal Military Air Force School
Air Force Meteorological Group
960th Sqn. Transport and Storage Support Squadron
961st Sqn. Miscellaneous Support Squadron
604st Sqn. Reserves Support Squadron
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Guided Weapons Base
800th Sqn. Group Operations Squadron
650th Sqn. Security Support Squadron
951st Sqn. Maintenance and Logistic Support Squadron
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Control Station
710th Sqn. Control And Reporting Centre (CRC)
711th Sqn. Military Air Traffic Control Center (MilATCC)
970th Sqn. Support Squadron
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Rank Structure
The officer ranks of the Royal Netherlands Air Force is given below:
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The future
The F-16 is likely to be replaced, eventually, by the F-35 Lightning II, which is favored by the Dutch Air Force over the proposed Eurofighter, Rafale, F/A-18E/F, F-16E/F, and Swedish Saab Gripen. However no formal decision has been taken on the replacement. The Dutch government so far has only participated in the SDD-phase (System Development and Demonstration phase) of the JSF-project. A future government may decide in favor of the Eurofighter, the Rafale, or any other candidate.
The (K)DC-10 aircraft were updated in 2005 by Fokker Services (part of Stork Aerospace, located near Woensdrecht Air Base). Another planned DC-10 shall bring the total number of these aircraft in service with the RNLAF to three, but the latest addition to the air fleet has yet to undergo a final update. Two F-60s are planned be sold. The RNLAF is interested in buying some C-17s, which if bought, will be stationed at the Eindhoven Air Base where all the Air Force's fixed-wing transport planes are stationed.
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General
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