Continental Europe

摘要

THE FIRST Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF) F-35A, F-001 'OT' (c AN-01, FMS 09-5008), has completed its test work at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and transferred to Luke AFB, Arizona, for use as a training aircraft. The move was announced by the commandant of the Dutch operational test and evaluation force on May 21. This aircraft had been delivered from the factory at Fort Worth, Texas, to 323 Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, on July 25, 2013. On January 16, 2015, it moved to Edwards, where it continued to be flown by 323 Squadron. In July last year it gained special tail markings to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the squadron and still wears these markings today. At the culmination of its test programme, AN-01 had accumulated 1,100 flying hours supporting F-35 operational test. At Luke it will be flown by the USAF's 56th Fighter Wing/308th Fighter Squadron 'Emerald Knights', a joint Danish, Dutch and US F-35 training unit.