Leeuwarden Air Base (Vliegbasis Leeuwarden)

Leeuwarden Air Base is located northwest of Leeuwarden in the province of Friesland. Established in 1938 as a civilian airport, the facility was seized by the Luftwaffe in 1940 for use as a fighter and bomber base. During the German occupation, it hosted aircraft including the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Following the liberation of the Netherlands, the airfield briefly returned to civilian use before being designated a permanent military airbase in 1949.

The base is operated by the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force. It hosts 322 Squadron, which operates F-35A Lightning II aircraft. This unit previously operated F-16 Fighting Falcons until the transition to the F-35A began in 2019. The base also houses 306 Squadron, which operates MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles and associated ground stations. These units are supported by 920 Squadron (Maintenance), 921 Squadron (Logistics), and 922 Squadron (Base operations).

Additional units at the facility include 323 Squadron, which serves as the Air Combat Development Centre. Historically, the base hosted 303 Squadron, a search and rescue unit that operated Agusta Bell AB 412SP helicopters until the unit was deactivated in 2015. Infrastructure at the base supports air-deployable and self-supporting operations for both piloted and remotely piloted aircraft.