The Dutch Government announced on September 17 that it will order 35 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs. They are in addition to two F-35As acquired in 2009 and 2011 for test purposes. The total number is much lower than the original requirement for 85 cited in 2002 or the 56 suggested last year because the available budget has been strictly limited to the €4.5bn reserved for the project. The budget includes a reservation of 10% for unforeseen costs. Acquisition of a limited number of additional F-35s in the future has not been ruled out, as long as it fits within the available budget. The 37 F-35s will replace the current fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons operated by the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF), starting in 2019. Initial operational capability (IOC) is expected in 2021. Deliveries should continue until 2023 and retirement of the final F-16s is scheduled for 2025. The final decision on the F-35 acquisition comes after more than a decade of political debate, despite the government's decision in June 2002 to participate in F-35 development as a 'level 2' partner, investing S800m in the F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase.
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