Royal Netherlands Air Force base Leeuwarden is
host to an annual exercise to train new weapon instructors. Until 2020
the exercise was known as he Fighter Weapons Instructor Training (FWIT).
In 2021 the exercise name was changed into the Weapons Instructor Course
(WIC) as for the first time officers from other air force branches took
part.
FWIT focused on training F-16 pilots from the European Participating Air
Forces (EPAF) nations Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway and
Portugal. In 2017 the first Transport Weapons Instructor Course (TWIC)
exercise was organized. Running alongside the FWIT the selected pilots
from 336 squadron were trained to become weapon instructors. TWIC was
run from Leeuwarden for a short period, the remaining programme was
conducted at Eindhoven.
WIC 2021 saw the first time the F-35A Lightning II pilots were trained
to become a weapon instructor. With the exception of Norway the other
EPAF countries purchased the Lockheed Martin Lightning to replace their
F-16's. Norway declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on the
F-35A on November 6, 2019. The Royal Netherlands Air Force plans to
reach IOC at the end of 2021. The first F-35A's for the Danish air force
are flying at Luke AFB, Arizona within the 308 FS, 56 FW. The Belgian
Air Component awaits the first delivery of their F-35A with the first
aircraft also to be based at Luke AFB. Both the Royal Norwegian and
Netherlands Air Forces also have personnel and aircraft assigned in
Arizona to train their pilots. |