Structure of the Royal Netherlands Air Force explained

This article represents the structure of the Royal Netherlands Air Force as of May 2020:

Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force

• Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force^[1]
  • Air Force Command Staff, in Breda^[2]
    • Operations Directorate
      • Operation Centre, in The Hague
    • Materiel Logistic Maintenance Directorate
    • Personnel and Management Directorate

Air Combat Command (ACC)

• Volkel Air Base^[3]
  • 312 Squadron, with F-16AM Falcon^[3]
  • 313 Squadron, with F-35A Lightning II^[3]
  • 640 Squadron (Air base operations)^[3]
  • 900 Squadron (Maintenance)^[3]
  • 901 Squadron (Logistic support)^[3]
  • Tactical Air Reconnaissance Centre

Volkel Air Base is one of two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16AM Falcon bases, which are being replaced by F-35A Lightning II.^[4] As part of NATO's nuclear sharing the US Air Force's 703rd Munitions Support Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing stores B61 tactical nuclear weapons at Volkel for use with Dutch F-16AM Falcon.

• Leeuwarden Air Base^[5]
  • 322 Squadron, with 15x F-35A Lightning II^[5]
  • 306 Squadron, with 4x MQ-9 Reaper^[5]
  • 920 Squadron (Maintenance)^[5]
  • 921 Squadron (Logistic support)^[5]
  • 922 Squadron (Air base operations)^[5]

Leeuwarden Air Base is one of two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16AM Falcon bases, which are being replaced by F-35A Lightning II, the first of which arrived at Leeuwarden on 31 October 2019^[6]

• Air Operations Control Station Nieuw-Milligen, in Nieuw-Milligen
  • 710 Squadron (operates the Control and Command Centre (CRC)^[7]
  • 711 Squadron, at Schiphol Airport (operates the Military Air Traffic Control Centre (MilATCC)^[7]
  • 970 Squadron (Logistics, engineering, and base services)^[7]
  • Air Control School
  • National Data Link Management Cell
  • Radar Station South, in Nieuw-Milligen, with SMART-L GB
  • Radar Station North, in Wier, with SMART-L GB

Air Operations Control Station Nieuw-Milligen (AOCS NM) is part of the NATO Integrated Air Defense System and monitors and secures the Dutch part of NATO airspace. The centre reports to Air Operations Centre Uedem (NATO CAOC Uedem) in Uedem, Germany.^[8]

Air Mobility Command (AMC)

Eindhoven Air Base is home to all transport and aerial refueling aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Furthermore NATO's Multi Role Tanker Transport Capability (MRTT-C) is based at Eindhoven.^[9]

• Eindhoven Air Base^[9]
  • 334 Squadron, with 1x Gulfstream IV, 5x A330 MRTT, and 2x Dornier 228-212 flown for the Netherlands Coastguard^[10]
  • 336 Squadron, with 2x C-130H Hercules, 2x C-130H-30 Hercules^[10]
  • 940 Squadron (Logistic support)^[10]
  • 941 Squadron (Air base operations)^[10]
  • 942 Squadron (Maintenance)^[10]
  • Movement Coordination Centre Europe^[9]
  • European Air Transport Command^[9]
  • Multi Role Tanker Transport Capability

Defense Helicopter Command (DHC)

The Defense Helicopter Command at Gilze-Rijen Air Base consists of all helicopter units of the Armed forces of the Netherlands. The air force's SERE School is also located at Gilze-Rijen Air Base.^[11]

• Defense Helicopter Command, at Gilze-Rijen Air Base
  • 298 Squadron, with 16x CH-47F Chinook^[12]
  • 299 Squadron (Helicopter air and ground crew training)^[12]
  • 300 Squadron, with 12x AS 532U2 Cougar Mk2^[12]
  • 301 Squadron, with 20x AH-64E Apache^[12]
  • 302 Squadron, at Fort Cavazos in Texas, with 8x AH-64E Apache and 4x CH-47F Chinook^[12]
  • 930 Squadron (Maintenance)^[12]
  • 931 Squadron (Air base operations)^[12]
  • De Kooy Airfield, Royal Netherlands Navy helicopter base
    • 7 Squadron (NH90 air and ground crew training), with NH90 NFH, and NH90 TTH^[12]
    • 860 Squadron, with NH90 NFH helicopters^[12]
    • 990 Squadron (Maintenance)^[12]
  • Deelen Air Base, no flying units, regularly used for joint exercises with the Royal Netherlands Army's 11th Airmobile Brigade^[13]

Air Force Reserve Group

The Air Force Reserve Group was established in November 2004 and fell under the Defense Helicopter Command. Since 2019 the group is an independent formation.^[14]

• Air Force Reserve Group, in Breda
  • 519 Squadron, at Air Operations Control Station Nieuw-Milligen^[15]
    • 1st Flight at Leeuwarden Air Base, 2nd and 3rd Flight at AOCS Nieuw-Milligen, 4th and 5th Flight at Volkel Air Base^[15]
  • 520 Squadron, at Gilze-Rijen Air Base^[15]
    • 6th Flight at Eindhoven Air Base, 7th and 8th Flight at Gilze-Rijen Air Base, 9th Flight at Woensdrecht Air Base^[15]

Royal Netherlands Air Force Military School-Woensdrecht Air Base

The Royal Netherlands Air Force Military School at Woensdrecht Air Base is the training institute for all Royal Netherlands Air Force personnel, except officer candidates, which are trained at the Royal Military Academy. The base also houses a Fire Fighting Exercise and Training Centre, and the Joint Meteorological Group, which provides meteorological services to all branches of the Armed forces of the Netherlands.^[16]

• Royal Netherlands Air Force Military School-Woensdrecht Air Base^{[17] [16]}
  • 130 Squadron (Military training)^[18]
  • 131 Squadron (Basic military aviator training),^[18] with 13x PC-7 Turbo Trainer planes^[16]
  • 133 Squadron (Basic technical training)^[18]
  • 961 Squadron (Air base operations)^[18]
  • Joint Meteorological Group^[16]
  • Fire Fighting Exercise and Training Centre

Woensdrecht Logistic Centre

The Woensdrecht Logistic Centre provides second level maintenance for all aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.^[19]

• Woensdrecht Logistic Centre, at Woensdrecht Air Base
  • 980 Squadron (Aircraft maintenance)^[18]
  • 981 Squadron (Components maintenance)^[18]
  • 982 Squadron (Technology and mission support)^[18]
  • 983 Squadron (Logistics, manages the air force's central inventory)^[18]

People and Aviation Centre

The People and Aviation Centre in Soesterberg is the air force's research, selection, aviation medicine, psychology and physiology centre.

• People and Aviation Centre, in Soesterberg^[20]

Squadrons assigned to other commands

The following Royal Netherlands Air Force squadrons are assigned to other commands:

• Royal Netherlands Army
  • Joint Ground-based Air Defense Command, in Vredepeel
    • 800 Squadron (Support)
    • 802 Squadron, with MIM-104 Patriot long range surface-to-air missiles
• Royal Military Academy, in Breda
  • Cadets Squadron
  • 121 Squadron (Military Scientific Training)
  • 122 Squadron (Basic Officer Training)

External links

• Website of the Royal Netherlands Air Force

Notes and References

1. Web site: Organisatiestructuur luchtmacht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
2. Web site: Hoofdkwartier luchtmacht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
3. Web site: Squadrons Vliegbasis Volkel . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
4. Web site: Vliegbasis Volkel . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
5. Web site: Squadrons Vliegbasis Leeuwarden . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
6. Web site: Vliegbasis Leeuwarden . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
7. Web site: Squadrons AOCS NM . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
8. Web site: Air Operations Control Station Nieuw Milligen . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
9. Web site: Vliegbasis Eindhoven . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
10. Web site: Squadrons Vliegbasis Eindhoven . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
11. Web site: Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
12. Web site: Squadrons Defensie Helikopter Commando . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
13. Web site: Vliegbasis Deelen . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
14. Web site: Groep Luchtmacht Reserve . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
15. Web site: Squadrons Groep Luchtmacht Reserve . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
16. Web site: Koninklijke Militaire School Luchtmacht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
17. Web site: Vliegbasis Woensdrecht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
18. Web site: Squadrons Vliegbasis Woensdrecht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
19. Web site: Logistiek Centrum Woensdrecht . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.
20. Web site: Centrum voor Mens en Luchtvaart . Koninklijke Luchtmacht . 17 May 2020.