The drills focus on joint operations by F-35 fighters, Apache attack helicopters and the Royal Netherlands Air Force command centre in countering drones, aircraft and cruise missiles at night. The scenario closely reflects current large-scale air, missile and drone attacks carried out by Russian forces against Ukrainian cities.
The ministry noted that cooperation between different weapon systems is essential within a layered air-defence structure. Direct information exchange helps create a shared and reliable picture of the airspace, preventing mistakes in identifying decoys or duplicating efforts against the same target.
Training after dark is required because fighter pilots and helicopter crews must gain experience using night-vision equipment and relying on electronic sensors. This approach supports realistic preparation for varied situations to improve protection of Dutch and allied airspace.
Increased night-time activity is expected from Wednesday 10 December to Thursday 11 December, with Friday’s flights limited to daytime. The ministry stressed that the exercises were scheduled in advance and are unrelated to recent sightings of unidentified drones near key military sites.
On 7 December two F-35s were scrambled from Volkel Air Base to identify an unknown object in Dutch airspace. The object was later confirmed as a drone that had left controlled airspace and did not pose a direct threat to aviation safety.
Source: Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands.
