The RNLAF F-35s have landed at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria.
Four F-35A of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) have deployed to Bulgaria, on Apr. 6, 2022, the Dutch MOD announced. The Lightning II stealth aircraft landed at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, located about 130 kilometers to the southeast of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
As part of operation “Guardian Lighting” the aircraft will be put under NATO command and start supporting the Air Policing mission beginning next week, to monitor the alliance’s Eastern Flank (that, considered the situation, someone calls the “Eastern Front” although NATO is not actively taking part in the hostilities). Just two aircraft will be used for the task, with the other two jets used as spares so as to guarantee that at least a pair of stealth aircraft are always available.
F-35’s vertrekken naar Bulgarije. NL heeft de saamhorigheid binnen de NAVO hoog in het vaandel en wil een betrouwbare bondgenoot zijn. De Air Policing taak van onze 🇳🇱 F-35’s in Bulgarije onderstreept die solidariteit. Succes met jullie missie! @VlbLeeuwarden #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/E64tdBa9jc
— CDS Onno Eichelsheim (@CDS_Defensie) April 6, 2022
Arrival of our @Kon_Luchtmacht #F35 detachment in Bulgaria. Thanks @BulgariaMod Airforce for the great hospitality. Proud to be part of the @NATO_AIRCOM #Airpolicing team. pic.twitter.com/TONv4gpsGv
— LtGen Dennis Luyt (@dennisluyt) April 6, 2022
Interestingly, the deployment of the aircraft was preceded by the activity of 13 Army engineers that worked on the construction of the clamshell hangars at Graf Ignatievo, that are used to recover the F-35.
Among the released by the Ministerie van Defensie one provides some interesting details about the configuration of the F-35s taking part in the deployment: it looks like the aircraft, fitted with RCS (Radar Cross Section) enhancers, carried live AIM-9X Sidewinders on the external rail launchers as well as AIM-120D inside the internal weapons bay. Considered the current posture, it seems likely that the one used for the ferry flight from the Netherlands will be the same configuration used for the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert)/enhanced Air Policing mission in Bulgaria.
The deployment of the jets is also accompanied by a contingent of Dutch Marines that provide the force protection of the aircraft.
The four in Bulgaria are not the first F-35As the RNLAF deploys in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine: on Feb. 24, 2022, two RNLAF F-35A Lightning II aircraft departed from Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands to deploy to Poland and support NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Air Policing activities.
