DTN News: Netherlands To Sell 18 F-16s To Chile

DTN News: Netherlands To Sell 18 F-16s To Chile

(NSI News Source Info) May 26, 2009: An agreement in principle has been reached with Chile concerning the sale of eighteen redundant F-16 Midlife Update (MLU) fighters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, as well as a limited support package.

The Netherlands Air Force wants to replace their current F-16 fleet in the next decade. In the beginning the candidates for the replacement were the Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin's F-16 Block 52/60, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab Gripen and Lockheed Martin's F-35. In 2002 The Netherlands signed a contract to develop the F-35 as a '2nd Level' Partner. That contract is worth around 800 million US Dollars. After the first comparison the F-35 seemed to be the best replacer of the existing F-16 fleet. Saab is now offering their latest aircraft, the Saab Gripen NG (Next Generation) to The Netherlands. The Netherlands was comparing the Saab Gripen NG and the F-35 in early 2009, however many sources and signs indicate that the F-35 will be the next fighter of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, with already an order for 2 test aircrafts to be delivered in 2010, the contract for 85 of these fighters is likely to be made in late 2009.

It is intended that the contract be signed shortly. The delivery of the first aircraft to Chile is foreseen for 2010.

The Netherlands have promised Chile their assistance for the training of approximately 75 Chilean technicians and instructors. Dutch industry will be involved in this contract. Related costs are to be paid by Chile.

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Dutch Transfer of Two Frigates to Portuguese Navy / Dutch Technical Transfer of Frigates to Portuguese Navy

Dutch Transfer of Two Frigates to Portuguese Navy / Dutch Technical Transfer of Frigates to Portuguese Navy (NSI News Source Info) January 19, 2009: The documents for the transfer of the Dutch frigates to the Portuguese Navy were signed today by the General Directors for Armaments of the Ministry of National Defence of Portugal and of the Netherlands.

On the Portuguese side, the signatory was Vice Admiral Filipe Viergas. This action, an exclusively military procedure, took place in the Netherlands, and was attended by the Portuguese Navy’s Chief of Staff, Admiral Fernando Melo Gomes.

On November 1st 2006, the Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira signed a contract for the purchase of the frigates Van Nes and Van Galen. Van Nes (renamed Bartolomeu Dias ) will be transferred to Portugal on December 1, 2008 and Van Galen (renamed Francisco de Almeida) on November 1, 2009. With the latest sale of two M-class frigates to Portugal pushing through, only two of the eight ships will remain with the Dutch Navy.

The official delivery ceremony, as part of the celebrations for Navy Day, will take place in the presence of the Minister of National Defence, Nuno Severiano Teixeira. The commissioning of the two “Bartolomeu Dias”-class frigates is a major milestone in the reinforcement of the Navy’s fleet.

These ships will replace the “Joao Belo”-class frigates that have been in service for about 40 years. The two new ships are fitted with modern technologies for systems automation, and thus require a smaller crew, but will deliver an increase in productivity and in operational availability. They can reach a top speed of 29 knots, and have a range of 5,000 nautical miles.