Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/861022
THE PERFECT LOCATION Since November 1945 in use by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Twente Air Base was host for many units and types of aircraft. Since the introduction of the Canadair/ Northrop NF-5 in the early 1970's, the Air Base hosted the 313th Squadron and the 315th Squadron. They were converted to the General Dynamics F-16 in June 1987 and March 1986 respectively and participated in operations "Deny Flight", "Decisive Endeavour", "Deliberate Guard", "Determined Falcon" operating out of Villafranca Air Base in Italy, and "Deliberate Forge", and "Allied Force", from Amendola Air Base in Italy. From July 2003 313th & 315th Squadron were sent to Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Directly after the Air Force Open Days at Twente Air Base in June 2003 the Dutch government announced that due to major cutbacks in defense Twente Air Base had to be closed. The 315 Squadron disbanded on the 16th April 2004 and handed over their F-16's to units at Volkel and Leeuwarden Air Base. The 313th Squadron remained operational at Twente Air Base until the 17th November 2005 when the first F-16's moved to their new home base at Volkel. Until closure of the Air Base in January 2008 F-16's from RNLAF units were maintained here and F-16's to be sold to the Fuerza Aerea de Chile made regular test-, training- and maintenance flights. The F-16's left for Chile on the 4th September 2006, 5th April and 4th September 2007. On the 27th September 2007 one final reunion of former base personnel was organized including fly passes of historic and modern aircraft before the base was offi- cially closed for all traffic on the 1st January 2008. In 2010 the Province of Overijssel and the city of Enschede decided to procure the air base and start- ed plans for renewed exploitation. A first public pro- curement issued by the Area Development Twente (ADT) in 2012 resulted in three interested parties. In 2013 Dick Wessels and the Reggeborgh Beheer Group were willing to invest in, and exploit the fu- ture Twente Airport provided that the State would also contribute its financial part. Failure to respond in time by the European Committee to allow financial aid by the State resulted in the decision of the City of Enschede and Province of Overijssel in June 2014 not to use the airfield for commercial flights but to use the north side airfield and its infrastructure for General Aviation, and developing and testing of new and technological advanced products, the so called "Technology Base Twente". Finally on the 30th March 2017 Twente Airport was re-opened again. On the south side of the for- mer military air base many hardened aircraft shel- ters, bunkers, the old Air Traffic Control Tower and other former military infrastructure remained unused and formed the perfect scenery for Op Red Dagger. www.fragoutmag.com