The Fokker D.XXI fighter was designed in 1935 for use by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) air service. As such it was designed as a cheap but rugged small plane, which had respectable performance for the time of conception. Although the order by the KNIL was cancelled, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (KLu) placed an order of 36 which were all delivered in time to participate in the war against the Germans in May 1940. The Fokker D.XXI, although much slower and lighter armed than the ME 109, performed surprisingly well in dogfights, due to its good manoeverability. Nonetheless, the numerical disparity between the KLu and the Luftwaffe meant that all Dutch Fokker D.XXI fighters were destroyed during the war.