SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont –
Eight Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-35 Lightning II fighters will arrive at the 158th Fighter Wing Oct. 25 and depart on Oct. 27.
“We’re excited to host our NATO allies from the RNLAF in Vermont,” said Col. Nathan Graber, 158th Operations Group commander. “We won’t be training with them locally, but we always welcome the opportunity to support our international partners.”
Vermont is an appropriate layover location for the RNLAF as they continue west, Graber said.
“We’re deploying to Edwards Air Force Base with our Dutch F-35s in order to reach the Initial Operational Capable status. It’s our F-35 IOC graduation event. Because of the huge distance between the Netherlands and the United States of America, we needed an intermediate stop for crew rest. We consider ourselves lucky that our NATO allies in Vermont are able to host us and support this important event,” said Lt Col Guido Schols, RNLAF 322 Squadron commander.
The RNLAF will have a layover in Vermont again as they transition back across the U.S. to the Netherlands next month. They will not train with the 158th Fighter Wing during their transition home.
For additional information about the Vermont Air National Guard F-35, please visit www.vtguard.com/F-35.