About This File
USAF ANG 148th FS Skin for the Viper Team Dutch F-16AM (2010+)
Assigned to the 162d Tactical Fighter Training Group at Tucson International Airport, Arizona. The 148th FS was tasked with pilot training for the foreign air forces as part of the Foreign Military Sales program, although the squadron has also been tasked with training F-16 crew for the USAF and the Air National Guard both advanced and beginner training. Through the years numerous countries have detached personnel to receive advanced training by the squadron.
The first to make use of these was the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). Training used a mix of USAF F-16 as well as some Dutch F-16s. Eventually a total of eight RNlAF F-16s were on hand. These Dutch aircraft were hard to tell apart from the USAF as they had the same markings and where the same blocks. In 1991, the squadron was officially tasked a NATO F-16 training mission which was not much of a departure from the norm. Re-designated as the 148th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992 and the training role continued. By May 1995 all the RNlAF F-16s had departed Tucson for their native country.
In 2003 another contract was signed that included detaching foreign F-16s. These new F-16s would be the E/F models of the United Arab Emirates Air Force. The relationship ended on 20 October 2010 with over 100 UAE F-16 pilots trained. The last aircraft departed for UAE during December.
2010 saw a new contract with the RNLAF. The Dutch already had a detachment with the 162d Fighter Squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard. This unit was to lose its F-16 task and so the Dutch needed to search for another training site. The USAF then proposed the 148th FS. So an influx of Dutch F-16AM/BM airframes began December 2010. The first class of about ten pilots graduated in late April 2011.
This time the Dutch F-16s retained RNLAF Roundels and serial numbers but have had their Dutch squadron markings replaced with those of the 148th FS.
Credit goes to the Viper Team and you will need the 'European MLU Vipers' pack here: http://combatace.com/files/file/12909-european-mlu-vipers/
Cheers,
Dan.