The Dutch press are reporting that the Royal Netherlands Air Force is now issuing Brugger + Thomet MP9 submachine guns to their F-16 pilots flying anti-ISIS missions over Iraq from the Muafaq Al-Salti air base in Jordan. NOS.nl reports (translated from Dutch):
Dutch F-16 pilots have recently aircraft overflying IS area a machine gun for added security. It is a MP9, a small machine gun with thirty patterns. At first the pilots had only so-called single-shot pistol in the standard equipment.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the “survival” is adapted to the current security situation. “The pilots must be able to operate safely,” said Defense.
The machine gun is small, so it fits easily into the cockpit.
A Dutch reader told me that the pilots are still carrying Glock 17 pistols. They have been issued with 30 round magazines for the MP9. After the horrific execution of the Jordanian pilot, the Dutch military want to give their pilots a fighting chance if they are forced to eject over ISIS territory.