WASHINGTON, D.C. - The governments of the Netherlands and the
United States have signed a contract for the training and logistical support
of Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 pilot training with the 162nd Fighter
Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard, based in Tucson, Ariz.
The three–year contract for $102.5 million between the Royal Netherlands Air
Force and the Arizona Air National Guard will begin this October at the
Arizona Air National Guard facility at Tucson International Airport when the
first class of Dutch pilots begins the ground-school portion of their
training.
This training mission marks a return of the Dutch Air Force to Tucson, where
Dutch pilots trained for several years before moving to Springfield, Ohio.
The Arizona fighter wing will host the F-16 training mission and provide
flight instruction, facilities, flight operations and maintenance support to
the Dutch pilots. A total of 164 personnel from the Arizona Air National
Guard will work on this training program. The Royal Netherlands Air Force
will supply 14 Dutch F-16 planes. The total program will provide 3,000
flying hours per year.
The F-16 pilot training by the Arizona Air National Guard continues the
training first conducted by the Ohio Air National Guard from 2007 to 2010.
“Dutch and U.S. Air Forces have trained together for decades," said
Ambassador Renée Jones-Bos. "The Netherlands is pleased that the F-16
training of Dutch pilots with the Arizona Air National Guard is the latest
step in our strong bilateral cooperation.”
The Netherlands and the United States work together to make the world safer
and more secure. The countries share intelligence and collaborate on nuclear
nonproliferation and jointly invest in military programs and missile defense
systems.