The Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF) two F-35 fighter jets from the US have visited the Leeuwarden Air Base in Netherlands.
The move marks the first landing of the new aircraft at an RNLAF base.
The RNLAF will present the aircraft at an air show at Leeuwarden Air Base in June, becoming the first in Europe to display the aircraft.
During the three-week visit, the F-35s will undergo tests to measure noise levels at the Leeuwarden and Volkel air bases.
The National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) has established five noise assessment points around each air base to measure peak values at places such as residential centres and bicycle paths.
Upon completion of the tests, the aircraft will return to Edwards Air Force Base in California, US, AFP reported.
In March last year, the Dutch Parliament approved an order for eight Lockheed Martin F-35As to replace the F-16s currently in use by the RNLAF.
The Netherlands will procure up to 37 F-35A aircraft in total from Lockheed Martin.
It is one of the original nine partner nations for the F-35 and contributes to the development, production, and sustainment of the F-35 programme.
The RNLAF was the second international partner to receive F-35s, and the first to receive the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant.
Image: The F-35 fighter jets in flight. Photo: courtesy of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.
