The Quest for Relevant Air Power

ROYAL NETHERLANDS Air Force │ 259
on the second aircraft was still pending. Moreover, amidst the
Dutch elections in mid-2010, some parliamentarians suggested a
new aircraft evaluation, as the projected JSF’s acquisition unit cost
had soared significantly by over 50 per cent from its original baseline
cost estimate. 191 As of June 2010, a decision on the Netherlands’
continued participation in the system development and
demonstration phase was expected to be part of a deal on a new
coalition government. 192 Given Dutch industry’s relatively strong
involvement in this phase, the Netherlands is likely to continue its
participation in the JSF programme. 193
Courtesy Netherlands Institute for Military History; photo by Frank Visser
RNLAF F-16 after sunset at Kandahar Airfield in November 2008
Air Mobility
Up to the mid-1990s, the transport capacity of the RNLAF consisted
of 13 light Fokker transport aircraft that had been built in
the 1960s. 194 In accordance with the increasing Dutch involvement
in peace support operations, the 1993 Defence Priorities Review
identified a need for larger transport planes. All in all, two
C-130 Hercules aircraft, four light Fokker utility transport aircraft,
and two KDC-10 tanker/transport aircraft were to be procured.
195 In June 1992, two DC-10 aircraft were purchased from