No. 322 Squadron RNLAF

Last updated
No. 322 Squadron RNLAF
Coat of Arms Royal Netherlands Air Force 322 Squadron.svg
Active12 June 1943 – 7 October 1945
27 September 1946 – October 1949
1951 – 1962
April 1964 – present
Country Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
BranchFlag of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.svg  Royal Netherlands Air Force
TypeActive
RoleSwing-role fighter squadron
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Leeuwarden Air Base
Motto(s) Dutch: Niet praten maar doen
("Actions, not words" or "Don't prattle, act")
Mascot(s)Polly Grey, [1] the parrot
Equipment F-35A Lightning II

No. 322 Squadron is the oldest operational squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). It currently operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II from Leeuwarden Air Base, Friesland.

Contents

It was originally founded at RAF Woodvale, United Kingdom, on 12 June 1943 as No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron with Dutch personnel under Royal Air Force control. At the end of the war, 322e Jachtvliegtuig Afdeling of the Royal Netherlands Army was formed from the RAF squadron. Between 1980 and 2021, No. 322 Squadron flew the Fokker F-16A/B Fighting Falcon. It performed, much like the other Dutch F-16 units, a dual 'swing role' task: having both ground support and interceptor duties.

History

British service

During the Battle of the Netherlands, many Dutch planes were destroyed by Nazi Germany's forces, but 350 German planes were shot down by the Dutch forces. After the battle, many pilots fled to the United Kingdom to continue the fight as part of the Allies. On 12 June 1943, No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron was formed at RAF Woodvale from a large contingent of Dutch crew who were part of No. 167 Squadron. [2] From then until the end of the Second World War, No. 322 Squadron actively participated alongside other allied forces. After the war, No. 322 Squadron was disbanded as a RAF squadron on 7 October 1945. [2]

Dutch service

1946–1980

Crew of No. 322 Squadron after winning the 1966 AFCENT Air Defence Competition. Air Defence Competition 1966, Bestanddeelnr 919-3715.jpg
Crew of No. 322 Squadron after winning the 1966 AFCENT Air Defence Competition.

On 27 September 1946, No. 322 Squadron was reactivated as part of the Dutch Armed Forces, operating the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX. [3] In September 1947, the squadron was sent to the Dutch East Indies. [3] Based at Kalidjati Air Base and later Kalibanteng Air Base the unit operated in the Dutch East Indies before returning to the Netherlands and disbanding in October 1949. [4]

In 1951, No. 322 Squadron was reactivated at Twente Air Base, later relocating to Soesterberg Air Base. [4] In July 1952, the squadron converted to its first jet aircraft – the Gloster Meteor F.4, further converting to the Meteor F.8 in 1953. [4] [5] The unit began to receive the Hawker Hunter in 1958. [5] Between 1960 and 1962, No. 322 Squadron saw service in Dutch New Guinea between 1960 and 1962. [3] Upon its return to the Netherlands in 1962, the unit was disbanded. [4]

In April 1964, No. 322 Squadron was reformed at Leeuwarden Air Base, Friesland, with the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter and assigned the air defence mission. [4] [5] Probably the most unusual mission in the squadron's history was performed on Saturday morning 11 June 1977 at 05:00 AM. With thundering afterburners, six of its F-104s flew several very low passes over a hijacked train, initiating a successful operation that ended the 1977 Dutch train hijacking. [6]

F-16 (1980–2021)

Fokker F-16AM Fighting Falcon J-061 departing RIAT, 2013. General Dynamics F-16AM J-061 (9383555514).jpg
Fokker F-16AM Fighting Falcon J-061 departing RIAT, 2013.

In 1980, No. 322 Squadron converted to the Fokker F-16A/B Fighting Falcon. It became the first operational Dutch F-16 squadron on 1 May 1981. [5]

Since the 1990s, the squadron has taken part in several NATO and UN missions. During the Yugoslav Wars, No. 322 Squadron made several deployments to Villafranca Air Base near Verona. From there it flew NATO missions over the former Yugoslavia. In 1995, during the fall of Srebrenica, two of its F-16s delivered the only bombs on the advancing Bosnian-Serb troops. The occasion marked the first attack by a female combat pilot in NATO, who scored a direct hit on a rolling Serbian tank using an (unguided) Mark 82 bomb.

Between 2003 and 2014, the squadron saw action over Afghanistan. [5]

No. 322 Squadron carried out its last flight with the F-16AM on 5 July 2021, when four F-16s departed Leeuwarden AB to Volkel Air Base. [7]

F-35 (2019–present)

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II F-009 in flight over the North Sea, 2020. Bomber Task Force Europe operations 21.jpg
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II F-009 in flight over the North Sea, 2020.

No. 322 Squadron received its first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (F-009) on 31 October 2019. [8] On 27 December 2021, the squadron attained Initial Operation Capability (IOC). [9] On 12 January 2022, No. 322 Squadron reached its full complement of 15 F-35As when F-023 was delivered. [9]

Deployments

FromToMissionCountry
19471949- Dutch East Indies
19601962- New Guinea
19931995 Deny flight Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo
19951995 Deliberate Force Bosnia, Herzegovina
19991999- Serbia
20022003 Enduring Freedom Afghanistan
20052014 ISAF Afghanistan
28-3-20118-2011 Unified Protector Libya

Aircraft operated

FromToAircraftVersion
19461953 Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk.IX
19501953 Supermarine Spitfire T.F. Mk.IX
19521953 Gloster Meteor F. Mk.4
19521957 Gloster Meteor T. Mk.7
19531957 Gloster Meteor F. Mk.8
19581958 Hawker Hunter F. Mk.4
19581960 Hawker Hunter F. Mk.6
19601962 Hawker Hunter F. Mk.4
19611962 Hawker Hunter F. Mk.6
19641980 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter F-104G, TF-104G
19801998 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon F-16A, F-16B Block 1/5/10/15/15 OCU
19982021 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon F-16 MLU Block 15
20092021 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon F-16 MLU Block 15 M5 update
2019Present Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II F-35A

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References

  1. ↑ "Polly Grey | Ministerie van Defensie". Defensie.nl. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  2. 1 2 "No.322 Squadron". Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "322 Squadron". 322squadron.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "322 Squadron". planken.org. 15 June 1993. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "322nd squadron (RNlAF)". f-16.net. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Witzand, Jopie (23 June 2017). "40 years on, questions remain: the extraordinary story of the 1977 Dutch train siege". SBS Dutch. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Leeuwarden says goodbye to F-16". scramble.nl. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Gravemaker, Anno (4 November 2019). "First operational F-35A arrives in the Netherlands". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Latest KLu Lightning II delivery". scramble.nl. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
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