for all pictures Vincent van der Meer ©
313 Sqn
313 Squadron was officially formed in 1953. However for a squadron with such a long history there is little to tell, the Sqn was mostly an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
They started flying Lockheed T-33's on VOLKEL AB the planes used where on lone from the United States and where (unofficially) named JVS II. They where formed to give an operational training to Dutch Pilots who returned from a training in the United States.
In 1958 the Sqn moved to Woensdrecht. Here the two Training Sqn's joined to form the JVO and on 1 January 1959, 313 Squadron was disbanded.
The Sqn reformed in October 1972 at Twente AB, again as an OCU Sqn but now on the NF-5A Freedom Fighter. For the next years 313 Sqn was the only Training squadron in the RNAF.
September 1986 was the moment 316 Sqn took over the Training Role, and 313 Sqn became for the first time in its career a fully operational Squadron on the Northrop NF-5A.
The Operational status came to an end in 1988 with the arrival of the F-16 Fighting Falcon
By April 1990, 313 Became Operational again as an offensive and defensive Sqn. October 1990 was the month 313 changed there Sqn badge from a bird into a Tiger and became a member of Nato's Tiger Association. From 1 April 1994 313 regained there training role as a Tactical Qualification Training (TQT).
By the end of 2002 the squadron regained it's NATO operationel.During 2004 the squadrons future looked quite dreary, when the desission was made to close 313 squadrons home-base Twente and disband it's 2 resident squadrons. Hope grew again when the desission was made to create a new squadron at Volkel AB. and only 2 day's after te disbandment of 313 squadron at Twente it was raised from its aches at Volkel.
In 1991 313 hosted a Mini-Tigermeet and in 2010 they hosted the real thing.
History:
1953: Activation of the squadron at Volkel F-84E 'Thunderjet'
1954: update to F-84G 'Thunderjet'
1956: Update F-84F 'Thunderstreak'
1958: Conversion to T-33A (on loan from USAF) 'Shooting Star' (Woensdrecht)
1959: Disbanded
1972: Activation of the squadron at Twenthe
1972: Starting with theNF-5A 'Freedom Fighter'
1988: Getting it 1st F-16A 'Fighting Falcon'
1999: Update to F-16AM 'Fighting Falcon'
2005: Move to Volkel AB
2020: Flew its last F-16 mission on 18-12-2020
2021: Unit will be known as 3YY Sqn during training and transition to the F-35A.
hosted the Tiger Meet:
NATO Tiger Meet - 2010
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F-16A
J-230 313 SQN RIAT 1997 |
F-16B
J-265 313 SQN RIAT 1999 |
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F-16AM
J-008 55JAAR 313 SQN 2009 |
F-16AM
J-055 313 SQN TIGERMEET 2010 |
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F-16AM J-196 NTM 2012 ØRLAND |
F-16AM J-196 IN IT'S NTM 2013 PAINT TAKEN AT SCHLESWIG 2014 |
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F-16AM J-003 NTM 2014 SCHLESWIG-JAGEL |
F-16BM J-882 DURING LANDING POZNAN KRESZINY NTM2018 |
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