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F-16 End Life of Type (ELOT) program
 
Latest update: April 2023
 
ELOT
 
The F-16 End Life of Type (ELOT) program oversees the withdrawal from use and disposal of the last 68 of 213 Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16's. These consisted of 61 F-16's in the active inventory and seven logisital reserve aircraft at January 1, 2019.

One and a half year later (July 1, 2021) 48 F-16's remained in service, assigned to 312 squadron based at Volkel (Netherlands) and the Netherlands Detachment Tucson Arizona (NDTA). The NDTA trained Dutch F-16 pilots within the 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard based at Morris ANGB, Tucson IAP, AZ. 162nd Wing trained several international F-16 pilots (Iraq, United Arab Emirates) with their pilots and crews embedded within one of the squadrons. The Dutch detachment operated within the 148th FS "Kickin' Ass".

Known as Netherlands Detachment Tucson Arizona (NDTA) the Dutch detachment was embedded within the 148th FS. Ten F-16's equally divided between the F-16AM and F-16BM were assigned to the unit. It became clear that these F-16's would not return to The Netherlands and were earmarked to be transferred to Draken.

During 2022 the NDTA flew its last mission leaving 312 squadron the last operator of the RNLAF F-16's. The squadron will continue to fly the fighters until 2024 when all will be witdrawn for use.

On January 1, 2023 the fleet consisted of 24 F-16AM's.
 
Draken International
 
Draken International is a private company based in the United States. It offers contracted air support to air arms around the world. The company, as well as several competitors, and is contracted by United States Department of Defense to provide realistic training for its combat squadrons. Most of the mission are flown as 'Red Air' which frees up flying hours for the squadrons as they don't have to fly these missions themselves.

Draken Int. purchased several former military aircraft. An overview of their aircraft can be here: Draken-International
 
Dutch government sell F-16's to Draken Int.
 
On June 29, 2021 the then state secretary for defence Drs. B. Visser informed the Dutch parliament of the sale of 12 Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16's and related equipment Draken International, Fort Worth, Texas. The contract provided an option for another 28 F-16's to be bought. The commercial price was kept confidential. Draken became the second commercial company to buy to the F-16. The purchase followed competitor Top Aces who bought Fighting Falcons from the Israeli Air Force.
The contact between the Dutch MoD and Draken International was signed on December 1, 2021. Deliveries of the 12 F-16's would commence in 2022.

During 2022 it became clear that the RNLAF would not fly its US based F-16's to the Netherlands. These were earmarked to be transferred to Draken. The NDTA F-16's have been joined by F-16BM J-882 which was withdrawn from use on 21 October 2021. It was shipped to the United States.

In December 2022 and January 2023 these F-16's were flown to commercial aircraft maintenance company Sabca at Charleroi, Belgium. The Netherlands MoD stating these aircraft required maintenance and were therefore flown from Florida to Belgium. The minister of defence together with the state secreatry of defence informed the Dutch parliament that an update of the F-16 sale to Draken would be sent during the first quarter of 2023. At April 16 the(se) document(s) could not be found on the goverment website.
 
ELOT F-16 status April 2023
 
Serial Type Del. Date WFU date Status Sold to New registration Comment
J-001 F-16AM 22-06-90 15-11-19 Written off Written off    
J-002 F-16AM 03-07-90 26-03-20 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-003 F-16AM 13-09-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-004 F-16AM 09-10-90 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-005 F-16AM 15-11-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-006 F-16AM 15-11-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-008 F-16AM 05-02-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-009 F-16AM 06-03-91 18-01-21 WFU WFU   Instructional airframe at Woensdrecht.
J-010 F-16AM 04-04-91 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-011 F-16AM 26-04-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-013 F-16AM 01-07-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-014 F-16AM 02-08-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-015 F-16AM 30-08-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-016 F-16AM 25-09-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-017 F-16AM 25-10-91   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-018 F-16AM 04-12-91 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-019 F-16AM 07-01-92 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-020 F-16AM 03-02-92   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-021 F-16AM 28-02-92 09-11-22 WFU WFU    
J-055 F-16AM 02-08-88   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-060 F-16AM 22-02-89   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-061 F-16AM 16-03-89 28-01-21 WFU WFU   Instructional airframe at Leeuwarden.
J-062 F-16AM 30-03-89   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-063 F-16AM 30-05-89 18-11-22 WFU For NMM?   Serbia AF Mig-29 kill. Earmarked for NMM?
J-064 F-16BM 05-07-88 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-065 F-16BM 21-12-88 21-09-20 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-066 F-16BM 23-06-89 31-03-22 Preserved NMM   Stored in depot NMM, Soesterberg.
J-067 F-16BM 08-12-89 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-135 F-16AM 30-06-87 10-11-20 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-136 F-16AM 31-07-87   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-142 F-16AM 15-02-88 31-12-18 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-144 F-16AM 07-04-88 13-04-22 WFU WFU    
J-146 F-16AM 20-05-88   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-196 F-16AM 31-10-85 25-07-18 WFU WFU   Instructional airframe at Volkel.
J-197 F-16AM 29-11-85   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-201 F-16AM 02-04-86 20-12-22 WFU WFU    
J-209 F-16BM 26-09-85 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-210 F-16BM 31-01-86 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-362 F-16AM 23-12-86 03-12-19 WFU WFU    
J-366 F-16AM 29-04-87 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-367 F-16AM 01-06-87   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-368 F-16BM 06-10-86 18-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-369 F-16BM 04-03-87 29-07-22 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
J-508 F-16AM 30-07-89   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-509 F-16AM 02-08-89 06-09-22 WFU WFU    
J-511 F-16AM 26-09-89 15-04-21 WFU WFU    
J-512 F-16AM 10-11-89   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-513 F-16AM 30-01-90 20-05-21 WFU WFU   Instructional airframe at Leeuwarden.
J-514 F-16AM 02-03-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-515 F-16AM 03-04-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-516 F-16AM 01-05-90   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-616 F-16AM 14-05-82 18-01-21 WFU WFU    
J-624 F-16AM 06-12-82 16-04-20 Sold military Belgian AF LB-061 Instructional Airframe at Kleine Brogel AB
J-628 F-16AM 01-03-83 26-07-21 WFU WFU   Instructional airframe at Volkel.
J-630 F-16AM 05-04-83 13-04-21 Sold civil Draken Int.?? Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Shipped to the United States. For Draken?
J-631 F-16AM 05-04-83 28-08-20 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-632 F-16AM 02-05-83 08-03-22 WFU WFU    
J-635 F-16AM 30-06-83 17-07-19 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-641 F-16AM 03-10-83   Active 312 squadron   To be withdrawn from use in 2024.
J-642 F-16AM 20-01-84 05-10-19 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-643 F-16AM 16-03-84 14-12-18 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-644 F-16AM 13-04-84 24-10-22 WFU WFU    
J-646 F-16AM 04-06-84 22-08-22 WFU WFU    
J-866 F-16AM 16-08-84 31-01-19 Preserved Breda   Preserved in Breda.
J-871 F-16AM 06-12-84 01-10-21 Sold civil Draken Int.?? Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Shipped to the United States. For Draken?
J-879 F-16AM 30-05-85 29-04-22 WFU WFU    
J-881 F-16AM 26-06-85 31-12-19 Scrapped Scrapped    
J-882 F-16BM 27-07-84 12-10-21 Sold civil Draken Int. Not registrered by 2023-04-16 Draken: contract signed 2021-12-01
               
 
Comment(s):

The twelve F-16's of the contract with Draken are known. These are the 10 former NDTA and one former 312 squadron aircraft flown to and now stored at Charleroi.

F-16AM: J-004, J-010, J-018, J-019, J-366.
F-16BM: J-064, J-067, J-209, J-210, J-369, J-882 (ex 312 sqn).

It's unclear if any other of the above listed F-16's are / were earmarked for the of 28 aircraft. Two aircraft have been shipped to the United States. These have not been registrered by the FAA.

That leaves another 30 F-16's which have been withdrawn from use. These are allocated for as follows:

  1 sold to the Belgian Air Component.
  1 Preserved in Breda (KMA - Royal Military Academy).
  2 Preserved in and earmarked? for NMM, Soesterberg.  
  9 Scrapped.
  1 Written Off.
16 Stored

Please note these numbers have been not been checked with the Department of Defence nor the Royal Netherlands Air Force nor the Defence Material Organization.

The table above will be updated when information related to the transfer of an actual airframe becomes available.

More information can be read at F-16 reallocation RNLAF F-16's from the United States to Belgium once the article is completed.
 
ELOT graphic 
 
 
RNLAF current and past F-16 squadrons (units)
 
Squadron Current base Previous base Disbanded Current aircraft Comment
306 squadron Leeuwarden Volkel   None Awaiting delivery MQ-9
311 squadron   Volkel 27-09-12    
312 squadron Volkel Volkel   F-16AM/BM Expected to transition to the F-35A in 2024
313 squadron Volkel Twente   None Transitioning to F-35A.
314 squadron   Gilze-Rijen 01-06-95    
315 squadron   Twente 16-04-04    
316 squadron   Eindhoven 01-04-94    
322 squadron Leeuwarden Leeuwarden   F-35A First aircraft arrived 31.10.2019 IOC end 2021/
323 squadron Edwards AFB, CA Leeuwarden   None Awaiting decision about its future
KTV Volkel Leeuwarden   F-16BM One F-16BM nicknamed "Orange Jumper".
NDTA / 148 FS Tucson IAP, AZ     F-16AM/BM Last F-16 pilots will graduate in 2022
TCA   Leeuwarden   None  
           
           
TCA: Transitie en Conversie Afdeling.  
NDTA: Netherlands Detachment Tucson Arizona.  
KTV: Kantoor Test Vliegen (Flight Test Office)  
           
 
Tags: Netherlands, Lockheed Martin, F-16, Draken International
 
Photo gallery
 
   
1: F-16AM J-624 NM. Leeuwarden 17.04.18 2: F-16AM J-004/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 15.12.22 3: F-16AM J-010/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 15.12.22
     
     
4: F-16AM J-018/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 23.01.23 5: F-16AM J-019/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 23.01.23 6: F-16BM J-064/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 23.01.23
     
     
7: F-1BAM J-067/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 15.12.22  8: F-1BAM J-210/AZ NDTA / 148 FS Charleroi 15.12.22  5: F-16BM J-882 312 squadron
Charleroi 23.01.23