WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR COURSE (WIC) 2026

By Bas Stubert & Dino van Doorn | GMAP.NL Team | May/June 2026

At Leeuwarden Air Base the prestigious Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) has officially started in week 22, bringing together some of Europe’s most elite military personnel for one of the continent’s highest-level tactical training programs.

A total of 25 carefully selected participants from Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway have begun the demanding course, which is organized by the Weapons School of the 323 Air Combat Development Centre (ACDC). The program trains fighter pilots and operational specialists to become top-level tactical leaders within NATO operations.

Selection for the WIC is highly competitive. Only the very best candidates are chosen to take part in the intensive training, which combines advanced academic studies with complex operational mission planning and execution.

This week marks the start of the academic phase in Leeuwarden, where participants build the tactical and theoretical foundation required for the course. In the coming months, the focus will shift towards the flying phase, where theory and real-world operational scenarios come together during challenging exercise missions.

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After the summer, the program will continue in Norway, where the students will participate in a large-scale final exercise. Successful completion of the course earns them the highly respected qualification of Weapon Instructor.

This year’s course also sees participation from Danish Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, further strengthening international cooperation and tactical integration between NATO air forces.

The importance of the Weapons Instructor Course has become increasingly clear in today’s rapidly changing security environment. Ongoing tensions across Europe and the Middle East, including the war in Ukraine and growing geopolitical instability, underline the need for NATO nations to remain prepared for any scenario. As part of NATO, maintaining highly trained tactical leaders remains a key priority for European air power.

For aviation enthusiasts, the start of WIC once again promises an exciting period of international military flying activity featuring some of NATO’s most advanced aircraft.

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Norwegian F-35s Join WIC 2026 at Leeuwarden

The multinational Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) at Leeuwarden Air Base entered a new phase during Week 24 as the Danish F-35 detachment handed over its role to a contingent of Norwegian F-35A Lightning II fighters.

The Norwegian jets joined an already impressive line-up of participating aircraft and personnel, supporting the intensive tactical training programme designed to develop the next generation of Weapons Instructors. Alongside the fifth-generation fighters, the skies over the Netherlands also saw the familiar sight of contractor-operated adversary aircraft, including A-4 Skyhawks and Alpha Jets, providing realistic threat replication and challenging scenarios for the course participants.

The WIC, organized by the 323 Air Combat Development Centre, brings together some of Europe’s most experienced aircrew and specialists from several NATO nations. Throughout the course, participants are exposed to increasingly complex operational scenarios, combining advanced airpower tactics with multinational cooperation.

The arrival of the Norwegian F-35s ensures that the high-end training continues at full pace as the course progresses toward its next phases later this year, where the future tactical leaders of NATO air forces will be tested in some of the most demanding training environments available.

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