Video: Dutch, American jets dogfight over the North Sea
A new video shot from a Dutch F-16 fighter jet shows the Netherlands pilot engaged in a combat simulation dogfight with an American F-15 fighter. The video was published by the Netherlands Ministry of Defense earlier on Tuesday, and takes place in the skies above the North Sea. It was shot using GoPro cameras sometime in April, and begins with a taxi and takeoff from the Leeuwarden Airbase that followed a 7 a.m. briefing, the Dutch air force said. Aside from the one-on-one combat training, a British refueling plane also makes an appearance in the middle of the video, though the planes refueled multiple times in mid-air throughout the day's exercises.
"In the Middle East, the focus is especially on attacking ground targets," one of the pilots wrote on behalf of the Dutch military. "The F-16 is a device with multiple functions and all aspects need training to be usable. Not only air-to-ground, but also air-to-air operations," the pilot stated. "Eventually you will see us performing a so-called 'Battle Damage Check,' when we determine if our planes are in order (no leaks, hatches which are opened etc.). After this check, we calmly flew the return home over the Friesland landscape, before landing again at Leeuwarden Airbase." In recent months, the Netherlands military and former ministers raised concerns about the amount budgeted to the Ministry of Defense. One specific red flag raised repeatedly is the reduced ability for Dutch F-16 pilots to train in non-combat zones.
