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F-104 Starfighter of the RNLAF |
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The Royal Netherlands Air Force
The following units of the KLu operated the Starfighter:
306 Squadron: 1962 until 1983.
311 Squadron: 1964 until 1982
312 Squadron, 1965 until 1984
322 Squadron, 1963 until 1979
323 Squadron, 1964 until 1980
Training and Conversion Unit 1964 until 1978 (Dutch Masters)
Conversie Afdeling Volkel, 1969 1984.
The Netherlands was another major European Starfighter user, with the type going
into service to replace the F-84 / RF-84, as well as Lockheed RT-33s. The Dutch
acquired 95 F-104Gs, 25 RF-104Gs, and 18 TF-104Gs from Fokker, Fiat, and
Lockheed production. This gave a total of 120 single-seaters and 18 two-seaters.
Dutch RF-104Gs did have the trimetrogon camera system at first. But were quickly
fitted with the NVOI Orpheus centreline reconnaissance pod instead . 25 F-104’s
had been delivered under the Military Assistance Program (MAP).
The Royal Netherlands Air Force received its first F-104 on the 12th of December
1962. That day the D-8013 and D-8022 were handed over to 306 Squadron at Twenthe
Air Base.
No 306 served as the operational conversion unit for the training of Starfighter
crews from all the other KLu F-104G squadrons that were forming at the time. In
January of 1964, this unit converted from F/TF-104Gs to RF-104G reconnaissance
aircraft, and its responsibility for Starfighter crew training was transferred
to the "Dutch Masters" operational conversion unit based at Leeuwarden. The
F-104Gs were operated in the interceptor role by 322 and 323 Squadrons based at
Leeuwarden and in the fighter-bomber role with 311 and 312 Squadrons based at
Volkel 306 Squadron also based at Volkel was the reconnaissance unit.
In the early 1980s, the Dutch Starfighters were replaced by European-built
F-16A/B Fighting Falcons. Conversion from F-104Gs was begun by the two
interceptor squadrons
On March 15th 1978 after the last Starfighter conversion at Leeuwarden the TCA
was the first squadron which retired the 104. On 16th May 1979 645 Squadron was
founded ( a combination of 322 and 323 squadron). This squadron received some
Starfighters and would be flying with them until 322 and 323 were operational on
the F-16.
The remaining F-104’s were transferred to Volkel. Turkey was interested to buy
25 surplus F-104’s from the KLu and they were delivered on 25th August 1980(12),
15th December 1980(11) and the final 2 in 1982. Meanwhile the US decided that
the remaining 16 under the MAP delivered F-104 had to be transferred to Greece
(10) and Turkey (6). The Greek Starfighters were delivered on 7th May 1982(4)
and 23th June 1982.
In June of 1984, No 312 Squadron stood down as the last KLu operational F-104G
unit. When No. 312 Squadron disbanded, its 18 F-104Gs and two four TF-104Gs were
transferred to the CAV at Volkel until their last formal flypast on November 21,
1984. That day the D-5803,D-5810,D-5804,D-8258 and D-8256 made a final flight
pass along al the KLu Airbases.
Some 43 KLu Starfighters (35.8 percent of the force) were lost in accidents.
Following their withdrawal from service, the surviving KLu Starfighters were
transferred to Greece and Turkey.
In total the Klu received 138 F-104s, 18 TF-104G’s 18 RF-104G’s and 102
F-104G’s. Later 10 F-104G’s were converted to RF-104G but received no internal
recce system but only the Orpheuspod, which replaced also the internal
reccesystem of the original RF-104G’s.
25 F-104’s had been delivered under the Military Assistance Program (MAP) and
were build by Fiat in Turin, Italy. These F-104’s could be easy recognized by
there serial number beginning with D-66..
Five operational squadrons flew with the 104 namely, 306 squadron, from December
1962 till February 1983 in the tactical reconnaissance roll, 311 squadron, from
March 1965 till August 1982, and 312 squadron, from October 1965 till June 1984,
in the fighter bomber roll from Volkel Air Base. 322 and 323 Squadron used their
Starfighters in the interceptor roll from August 1963 till 1980. There were also
some conversion units in the KLu flying mainly with TF-104G.
The first conversion unit was the “Dutch Masters” stationed at Twente Air Base
but this unit was decommissioned on January 1st 1969. The TF-104G’s were then
assigned to the “TCA”(Training en Conversie Afdeling) at Leeuwarden and “CAV” (Conversie
Afdeling Volkel) at off course Volkel.
On March 15th 1978 after the last Starfighter conversion at Leeuwarden the TCA
was the first squadron which retired the 104. On 16th May 1979 645 Squadron was
founded. This squadron received some Starfighters and would be flying with them
until 322 and 323 were operational on the F-16. The remaining F-104’s were
transferred to Volkel. Turkey was interested to buy 25 surplus F-104’s from the
KLu and they were delivered on 25th August 1980(12), 15th December 1980(11) and
the final 2 in 1982. Meanwhile the US decided that the remaining 16 under the
MAP delivered F-104 had to be transferred to Greece (10) and Turkey (6). The
Greek Starfighters were delivered on 7th May 1982(4) and 23th June 1982.
Meanwhile Volkel was in the middle of its F-16 conversion, the first Squadron to
receive F-16 was 311 which transferred al there F-104’s to 312 squadron which
had at that time 40 F-104. In February 1984 the final RF-104G flight was made so
the KLu had a great surplus of 104’s Turkey was interested in buying an extra 23
Starfighters. But only 22 were handed over because the D-8103 crashed before
been handed over to the TuAF. On 30th November 1983 a remarkable delivery flight
took place, that day 13 (T)F-104G were flown to Turkey but only 11 made the
delivery flight. The D-8052 crashed an hour after take off and the D-5807
crashed while on approach to Izmir (Turkey).
On 1th June 1984 the last 104 squadron converted to the F-16 and a final but
never official squadron was founded, the UFO flight (Uitfaserings onderdeel).
Pilots who were not converted yet on the F-16 could stay current on jets. But on
21th November 1984 it was al over. That day the D-5803,D-5810,D-5804,D-8258 and
D-8256 made a final flight pass along al the KLu Airbases.
In 22 years the Klu flew 345.500 hours with the F-104 with the loss of 40
aircraft.
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