Photo By Senior Airman Elias Carrero | U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland (right), 56th Fighter Wing commander, speaks...... read more read more
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LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond, RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, and Brig. Gen. Peter Tankink, Joint Force Command Brunssum assistant chief of staff, attended a pilot graduation at the 308th Fighter Squadron and observed multinational training operations on Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Training at the 308th has been a model for multinational cooperation since 2018, when the World War II squadron was reactivated to begin providing advanced instruction to United States, Danish, and Dutch F-35 pilots. During their visit, the Dutch officers toured the squadron to see firsthand how U.S., Danish, and Dutch pilots train together and integrate in complex operational scenarios. “We are known for having well trained and skilled pilots,” Said Tankink. “That reputation starts here at Luke,” Luke AFB, home to the 56th Fighter Wing, hosts pilots from six partner nations across eight fighter squadrons. The wing emphasizes building on fundamentals, fostering readiness, and promoting a culture of lethality; principles that underpin every pilot and Airman’s training and daily operations. “The fighter pilots we graduate at Luke, US and Allied, rely on our training to be lethal and ready in the battlespace,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander. “We all train together to be prepared to make critical split-second decisions in the real-world fight.” These lessons learned during multinational training extend beyond the flight line. Dutch pilots trained at the 308th FS recently applied these lessons in a coordinated air defense operation with Poland on the night of Sept. 9-10, 2025, resulting in the downing of multiple Russian drones by Dutch F-35s over Polish airspace. “Two former B-Course students trained at the 308th shot down drones as a part of an air policing mission,” said Van Egmond. “The timing, coordination, and decision making they demonstrated while operating in a joint mission was critical to their success.” This was not the first time Dutch F-35s had scrambled in Poland in response to Russian projectiles that were posing a threat to NATO territory. But it was the first time that The Netherlands has had to use force to neutralize the present threat, marking a significant milestone in the Dutch F-35 program. “The fact that we acted as NATO and stood together is important,” said Van Egmond. “We utilized lessons learned and best practices from our previous air policing missions to guarantee success.” At the 308th FS, pilots learn to integrate with U.S., Danish, and Dutch counterparts, training and practicing together in close proximity. Then as a part of the 56th FW, they learn to work with four additional partner nations. Pilots bring all their lessons learned into real-world operations, such as the Netherlands-Poland air policing partnership, showing Luke’s push to train for lethality leaves a footprint on international air defense.
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2025 12:01 |
| Story ID: | 551006 |
| Location: | LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Dutch General Officers Visit Luke for Pilot Graduation and Observe Integrated Training, by SrA Elias Carrero, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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