As international tensions rise, the Netherlands turns to business aviation to bolster its F-35 pilot pool.
A brand new settlement between KLM Royal Dutch Airways and the Dutch Ministry of Protection will permit airline pilots to function reserve F-35 pilots within the Royal Netherlands Air Pressure (RNLAF). This marks a reasonably attention-grabbing initiative that would blur the standard strains between business aviation and nationwide protection.
Signed on July 5, 2025, the deal allows KLM to help a bunch of its workers who will serve within the army reserve, contributing the equal of 5 full-time positions. These roles will embody operational flying within the RNLAF F-35A. The cooperation additionally extends to technical and floor workers, pointing to a broader integration of experience between the airline and the armed forces.
Reservisten maken Defensie sterker. Dankzij KLM kunnen civiele piloten met een militaire achtergrond als reservist blijven vliegen bij de Luchtmacht. Vrijwillig, professioneel, van grote waarde.
Een krachtig voorbeeld van hoe bedrijven kunnen bijdragen aan onze veiligheid. pic.twitter.com/rn5XrZtCU4
— Gijs Tuinman (@DefensieStas) July 7, 2025
“For cooperation within the cockpit, KLM is making a capability of 5 ‘full-time equivalents’ (FTE) out there. These hours will be distributed amongst a bigger group of pilots who want to fly as reservists with the Protection forces,” says a KLM launch. “That is on a voluntary foundation and presently applies particularly to pilots who’re lively in entry-level positions at KLM. They could, for instance, be deployed to often practice pilots on the F-35, making certain they continue to be up-to-date.”
KLM CEO Marjan Rintel described the settlement as a approach to strengthen the airline’s enchantment as an employer. State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman added that the rising instability of the worldwide safety panorama makes such partnerships more and more essential. He confused the necessity for army and civilian organizations to help and reinforce one another.
A viable mannequin for different air forces?
Following the announcement of the settlement, a number of questions have emerged. The principle one is: “How will KLM pilots preserve the proficiency required to function a fifth technology fighter whereas additionally fulfilling their duties as business airline captains?”
Flying an F-35 operationally undoubtedly requires a excessive degree of proficiency. Nevertheless, as defined a number of occasions right here, from a dealing with perspective, the Lightning II is considerably simpler to fly than many legacy platforms. The actual challenges lie in how the plane’s sensors are managed to execute its mission and help different belongings in a networked battlespace.
That mentioned, it’s simpler to keep up proficiency as soon as pilots have been skilled on the plane than to start out coaching from scratch. On this respect, counting on a stable core of reservists may also help fill the gaps many air forces face with regards to the variety of lively pilots out there at any given time. Whereas the equal of 5 full-time positions could appear restricted, this could possibly be the muse for a a lot bigger dual-role drive sooner or later. With most NATO air forces struggling to recruit and retain sufficient combat-qualified pilots, this will symbolize the primary signal of a broader development involving the civil aviation sector. Brief-track coaching packages to refresh currencies for reservists are probably essentially the most sensible answer for air forces needing to keep up readiness.
The idea shouldn’t be with out precedent. In the US, reservist fighter pilots have lengthy been a part of the drive construction. As an illustration, the 301st Fighter Wing at NAS JRB Fort Value, Texas, grew to become the primary standalone Air Pressure Reserve unit to function the F-35A Lightning II, receiving its first plane in August 2024. This mannequin demonstrates that reservists can successfully function superior platforms just like the F-35 whereas complementing the active-duty drive.
Considerations concerning the potential leakage of delicate data are additionally shortsighted. Reservists should adjust to the identical non-disclosure obligations as any pilot who leaves lively responsibility to affix an airline or retires altogether.
Subsequently, the settlement may grow to be a useful drive multiplier not just for the RNLAF. It gives air forces with entry to skilled, tactically skilled pilots who will be activated when wanted. If profitable, this mannequin may function a blueprint for different nations trying to improve readiness with out increasing active-duty ranks.
At a time when army flexibility is turning into a strategic asset, the Netherlands is exploring a path few others have taken, a minimum of in Europe. The result will present whether or not it is a sustainable method or a one-off experiment formed by distinctive nationwide circumstances.
