On 29 June 2021, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the sale of twelve Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons to Draken International LLc. The US based company has its headquarters at Lakeland Linder International Airport, Lakeland (FL).

Draken offers airborne adversary support (Red Air), Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), Close Air Support (CAS), flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services to the US Department of Defence, US defence contractors and aerospace firms, provided by a fleet of former military aircraft.

The Fighting Falcons are all part of the F-16 End Life Of Type (ELOT) programme. Delivery of the F-16s and associated equipment to Draken International will start in 2022. The agreement includes an option for the sale of another 28 F-16s. This second group will be phased out in the period until May 2024.

The equipment is in used condition and will be sold and transferred in the condition it is in at that time.

The Ministry of Defense disassembles a number of items prior to the transfer, such as classified material.

The signing of the contract will take place in mid-2021 and the transfer is foreseen from 2022.

Next to the sale to Draken, the Dutch MoD has sold one F-16AM to Belgium for spare use.

Photo Marcel van Leeuwen