Nec Timide, Nec Tumide, 50 years of 315 sq
4 July 2002

 

2002 was the year in which 315 sq of the Royal Netherlands Air Force celebrated it's 50th anniversary. On 4 July 2002, the unit, whose motto stands for not afraid, not over confident, held jubilee festivities for which aviation photographers were invited to attend. Of course, it did include a suitably painted F-16. Foreign participants included a pair of Belgian F-16's and a German Phantom and MiG.29.
315 sq was formed on 1 July 1952. It's initial equipment were MDAP supplied Republic F-84G Thunderjets. These served in the tactical attack role until only 1955. During the first half of 1956 315 sq converted to the F-84F Thunderstreak. The F-84F would be the squadron's equipment throughout the 1960's as well. In 1962, 315 sq received the task of converting pilots to fly tactical atack missions with the F-84F.
In 1970 315 sq moved to it's current location at Twenthe.This move coincided with the introduction of the Northrop NF-5. Since 1987, 315 sq fly the Lockheed Martin F-16.
Many thanks go to the Public Relations Office at Twenthe Air Base.

All pictures (c) Hans Rolink.

 
315 squadron brief pictorial history
F-84G K-85/TP-1 315 sq's initial equipment between 1952 and 1956 consisted of the Republic F-84G Thunderjet. K-85/TB-1 is seen here guarding the gate at Eindhoven on 3 August 1982.    
F-84F P-171
315 sq's mount for the next 14 years was the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. P-171 was seen on 6 June 1983 at Twenthe. Most F-84F's squdrons received the F-104G Starfighter from 1963 onwards. 315 sq however, like 314 and 316 sq's soldiered on with the F-84F for some years more.
NF-5A K-3024
Eventually, in 1970, the Northrop NF-5 took over from the Streaks. Although lacking the charisma of the contemporary F-104G, the NF-5, with three squadrons and an OCU, formed the backbone of the RNethAF attack force during the 70's and 80's. K-3024 was seen at Twenthe on 16 August 1984.
F-16A J-017
Since 1987, 315 sq is operational on the F-16A/B. The unit is one of three rapidly deployable Reaction Force squadrons, the others being 322 sq (Leeuwarden) and 312 sq (Volkel).
Twenthe, 22 June 1995.

315 squadron Golden Jubilee, 4 July 2002.
F-16AM J-138
It is good custom for a unit celebrating a jubilee to decorate one of it's aircraft. 315 sq stuck to the tradition and J-138 received this specially painted fin. It was very smartly decorated with a lion's head and silhouettes of the aircraft types 315 sq has flown during it's existence.
F-16AM FA-136 
The Belgian Armed Forces Air Component, as the Belgian Air Force is now officially known, sent two F-16's to Twenthe. One was FA-136. Like most of the Belgian F-16's it has been brought up to Block 15 MLU standard.
F-4F 37+10
About to be retired from German Air Force service is the F-4F Phantom in it's unmodified state. The fact that it did not receive the APG-65 radar to replace the original APQ-120 can be seen because it still retains it's black nose cone. It was flown in from nearby Rheine Hopsten which used to house Jagdgeschwader 72 "Westfalen", which has been reduced to a training unit known as Zentrale Ausbildungseinheit (ZAE) F-4F.
MiG.29 29+03
Not only the F-4F, but also the MiG.29 inherited from the former GDR is on it's way out of the German Luftwaffe. 29+03 along with 22 others will be sold to Poland for the symbolic sum of one Euro apiece. Retirement from German service starts in 2003.
Fokker 60UTA-N U-02
Fokker 60 UTA-N U-02 of 334 sq was one of the visitors on 4 July 2002. All four of these unique aircraft serve with the RNethAF.
L-21B R-124
Not having anything to do with 315 sq or it's history was this L-18 Super Cub. Just a nice shot of this now as PH-APA privately owned Light Observation Plane in a wooded part of the base.

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