The Dutch Air Force is the first in Europe to use an F-35 fighter to detect a ground target and transmit the coordinates from the aircraft to a missile system that successfully hits the detected target. This was announced by the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
After detecting the target, the F-35 automatically transmitted the target information to an army unit using the Dutch Keystone command system, which then destroyed the target using the PULS rocket artillery system.
The entire process reportedly took just a few minutes - from target detection to missile launch. The test was conducted in cooperation with the US Air Force, F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and TNO during NATO’s multinational exercise Banner Ramstein at Leeuwarden Air Base.
Although this tactic of using the F-35 is being used for the first time in Europe, it is not new. According to TWZ, in 2019, a US Army artillery unit equipped with M109 self-propelled 155mm howitzers destroyed an air defense simulator after receiving target information from a US Air Force F-35 fighter.
The Dutch Air Force has been using the Keystone program since last year. The introduction of such automated control systems allows for an efficient reconnaissance and strike cycle.
In particular, the F-35 can effectively detect enemy air defense systems and launch missile strikes against them thanks to its powerful sensor system and weapons located only in the internal compartments. At the same time, the aircraft itself will remain invisible to most radars.
The Netherlands ordered the Israeli PULS in May 2023. The five-year contract provides for the supply of 20 universal launchers of the PULS system (Precise and Universal Launching Systems), which will be integrated into the Scania Gryphus 8×8 wheeled chassis selected by the Dutch army. The value of the deal is $ 305 million.
The contract includes the supply of launchers and ammunition with different ranges. It also includes training and maintenance services.
The first PULS will arrive in the Netherlands in February 2024. To meet the tight deadline, the first four PULS will be delivered on a Tatra Force 815-7 chassis with a 6x6 wheel configuration. They will be used as training and spare vehicles. Later, however, they will also be transplanted to the Scania chassis.
The PULS MLRS is based on the Elbit Systems Precision Universal Launch System - a multifunctional launcher, which houses two containers with the ability to use various, including high-precision, guided ammunition with different ranges.
The Israeli company Elbit offers the following missiles for the PULS MLRS:
18 AccuLAR-122 missiles with a caliber of 122 mm and a range of up to 35 km;
10 AccuLAR-160 missiles with a caliber of 160 mm and a range of up to 40 km;
4 EXTRA 306 mm missiles with a range of up to 150 km;
2 Predator Hawk missiles with a caliber of 370 mm and a range of up to 300 km.
First time in Europe! Dutch F-35 fighters direct rocket artillery at ground target
The entire process reportedly took just a few minutes - from target detection to missile launch
Apr 16, 2025 20:20 147
