Leeuwarden Air Base

During World War II, and especially on the 16th and 17 September 1944, the airbase was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force.

After the liberation of the Netherlands the airbase was repaired, and during the first post-war years it was used as a civil airport, and KLM ran a commercial line to Schiphol.

During the 1970s Vliegbasis Leeuwarden was used as a temporary home of the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Air Force.

[4] The base is the location of the Fighter Weapons Instructor Training (FWIT) and the annual multinational NATO exercise "Frisian Flag".

[5] Four MQ-9 Reapers with a Ground Station will be fully air-deployable and self-supporting for global operations will be based at Leeuwarden from 2020.

Sud-Aviation SE3160 Alouette III. These were used in the Search and Rescue (SAR) role at Leeuwarden until 1994. The aircraft is preserved at Soesterberg AF Museum . [ 2 ]
A Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 "J-135". Note the depiction of the Frisian flag and the 322 Squadron mascot Polley Grey on the tail.