RNeAF F-35 i atomrollen som deres F-16 hadde - The War Zone

 

Dutch F-35s Take On A Full Nuclear Role

As of tomorrow, a Dutch F-35A squadron will be the first in Europe to have full responsibility for nuclear strike with the stealth fighter.

PUBLISHED MAY 31, 2024 12:28 PM EDT

U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Matthew Plew

THOMAS NEWDICKView Thomas Newdick's ArticlesCombatAir

 

The Netherlands has become the first nation to declare that its F-35 stealth fighters are now fully responsible for the nuclear strike role, something that had been expected since the aircraft was fully certified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear bomb earlier this year. Coming amid repeated nuclear saber-rattling from Russia, the development is an important one in the context of NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture in Europe.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) announced that the F-35A will fully take over the Dutch nuclear role tomorrow, June 1. The mission will be passed from the F-16 previously used in the nuclear role at Volkel Air Base. The F-35 unit responsible for the mission is 313 Squadron, and its weapons are provided under a NATO nuclear sharing agreement arrangement.