Page 4 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt – July 2025

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July 11, 2025 News www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb
Thunderbolt http://www.luke.af.mil
PILOT (from Page 2) er with the Danes and
the U.S. at the 308th,” Luijsterburg said. “Ev- erything goes seamlessly, it’s just been an absolute pleasure to operate here.”
Scherders will return to the Netherlands to resume his role at the 312th Squadron and is set to take command of the Air Combat Development Center early next year. There, he will help shape the future of European F-35 operations and host large-scale joint exercises.
“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to be a guest of the U.S. Air Force and be gifted great training,” Scherders said. “From a foreign perspective, I think the Americans make great hosts.”
The 56th Fighter Wing remains at the forefront of F-35 pilot training, preparing more than 70% of the world’s F-35 pilots. Their continued focus on partnership and advanced training ensures that the U.S. and its partnered forces operate seamlessly together, ready to meet fu- ture challenges head-on.
VISIT (from Page 1)
“Among all the allies and partners, here many of them are F-35 users or about to be introduced to the F-35, and they want to understand how it will change their air force, like it did ours,” said Royal Netherlands Air Force Col. Ben Kamstra, RNLAF military air and space attaché and assistant defense attaché. “That’s why many came on this trip. To understand what it takes to integrate your nation into a broader set of na- tions, which you have to do if you fly the F-35 now. Luke is a great example of what allied and partner integration in both basic and advanced courses of F-35 training can be.”
Luke AFB, home to the 56th Fighter Wing, trains more than 70% of the world’s F-35 pilots and is a central hub for multi- national fighter pilot instruc- tion. Presently, Luke trains pilots from, not only the United States, but from Italy, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Den- mark, and Singapore. The visit underscored Luke AFB’s key role in fostering allied readi- ness through partnership and training and emphasized its global impact in training the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Elias Carrero
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander, greets Hungarian Air Force Brig. Gen. Laszlo Szego, Hungarian Air Force defense and air attaché, during a base visit, June 2, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. While at Luke, the delegation received
a wing mission brief, participated in a roundtable discussion with Berkland, toured two fighter squadrons, experi- enced F-35 tabletop simulators, visited an F-35 aircraft, and walked the flight line.
U.S. Air Force photo by Richard McManu
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander, greets attachés from allied and partner nations when they arrive for a base visit, June 1, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Defense attachés from 17 allied and partner na- tions visited Luke AFB to deepen cooperation on F-35A Light- ning II training and integration. The attachés, representing na- tions from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania, received
an in-depth look at how the United States and its partners are advancing fifth-generation fighter integration.
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