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https://www.scramble.nl/community/messa ... /12/158213
https://www.scramble.nl/community/messa ... /12/158213the President of the House of Representatives
of the States General
Square 2
2511 CR The Hague
Date June 29, 2021
Concerns Sale of F-16 aircraft to Draken International
In line with the motion by Van den Doel et al. (Parliamentary Paper 22 054, no. 24 of 17 December 1996),
I inform your House that agreement has been reached with Draken International on the sale of 12 F-16 aircraft,
including associated materials.
The aforementioned company is also the end user of the equipment.
Draken International has been contracted by the US government for years to take on the role of enemy in US Air Force and Navy exercises.
These aircraft will be used exclusively on the basis of government contracts for support tasks
during (inter)national exercises and training on American territory.
The US government monitors compliance with these agreements.
The aircraft will be available from the F-16 End Life of Type (ELOT) program,
in which the F-16 fleet will be phased out.
This concerns the sale of 12 F-16s that are expected to be taken out of service in 2022 as a result of the introduction of the F-35.
In addition, the contract includes an option to sell another 28 F-16s.
When using this option, I will inform your room in more detail.
The 28 aircraft under the option are expected to be phased out in batches through the end of 2024.
The phasing out plan for the F-16 aircraft is leading in the transfer of all aircraft,
even if the outfitting plan is delayed and the end date of the F-16 is pushed back.
Within the F-16 End Life of Type (ELOT) program,
one other F-16 has already been sold to Belgium.
You were informed about this sale in August 2020 (Parliamentary Paper 22054, no. 329 of 20 August 2020).
The interdepartmental Defense Materiel Sales Committee, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence, has approved this sale.
The Ministry of Defense applies for an export license for the transfer of the equipment.
This application is assessed by BZ against the EU Common Position on arms exports.
In addition, as a result of US export control legislation (International Traffic in Arms Regulations),
approval for this sale is requested from the US government.
The equipment is in used condition and will be sold and transferred in the condition it is in at that time.
The Ministry of Defense disassembles a number of items prior to the transfer, such as classified material.
The signing of the contract will take place in mid-2021 and the transfer is foreseen from 2022.
You will receive financial information about the sale in a separate letter.
I request that you treat this information as commercially confidential.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENSE
drs. B. Visser
refers to
https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken ... 2021D26164
/
https://www.tweedekamer.nl/downloads/do ... ional.docx
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