Motion for Dutch to get out of F-35 program tabled

A motion has been tabled for the Dutch to get out of the F-35 program.

This by itself is not an absolute that the Dutch will get out of the F-35 program. It only allows for more parliamentary discussion leading up to the election later this year.

See this post by JSF News (Google translate Dutch to English) on the details which are still in progress.

Dutch proponents of the F-35 are now waving the jobs flag. Yet, due to significant development delays in the program, there are hundreds of lost orders against the original overly optimistic plan from over 10 years ago. Business investors have many risk, value and return-on-investment issues left unanswered.

High F-35 operating and procurement costs means that the Dutch will not see the original 80-some F-35 jet fleet. It is now closer to well South of 40 if not worse.

Also of interest, some are still addressing this as an F-16 replacement decision and not an F-35 decision.

To date, with all the budget and down-sizing issues present in the Dutch military, only the Saab Gripen appears to be an affordable F-16 replacement.

MP count

When counting MPs, the Dutch may be on their way toward having two F-35s that will never see an operational squadron.

The Dutch--like others in the region--are down-sizing their military. The F-35 does not meet any  measure of being practical. It its too weak to use for high-end anti-access threats and too expensive to own and operate for other kinds of fighter missions.

By the numbers, the only affordable F-16 replacement for the Dutch is the Gripen.

Or, a lightly armed trainer for air-policing duties.

The Dutch will have an election later this year. The F-35 mistake-jet will be a hot-button issue.