Denmark took delivery of four F-35A Lightning II fighters over the weekend in a move expected to “play a pivotal role in bolstering NATO’s collective resilience in the Baltics,” according to Lockheed Martin.
The jets will be permanently based at Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark, making them the first of the Dane’s growing F-35 fleet based in their country. Denmark has six additional F-35 aircraft currently stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where pilots and maintainers are training, Lockheed Martin said.
“Arrival of the first F-35 combat aircraft in Denmark is a historic event for the Danish Defence and the Royal Danish Air Force,” Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen said during an event celebrating the delivery. “It is thanks to close and professional cooperation between Lockheed Martin, the F-35 partnership, and the Danish Defence that Danish Defence now crosses the threshold into the future of air defense.”
Modernization of the fighter jet fleet comes as the country—along with the Netherlands and Norway—pledged to donate aging F-16s to Ukraine. Ukrainian defense officials have long sought access to the aircraft following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Denmark has placed a $2.2 billion order for 27 F-35s, which are scheduled to replace its 30 F-16s by late 2025, according to The Associated Press.
Denmark is the fifth European NATO country to operate the F-35, according to Lockheed Martin, which predicts that more than 600 F-35s will be stationed across Europe and Switzerland by the mid-2030s.
“The F-35’s growing presence in Europe increases collaboration with trusted allies and partners through a multilateral, multinational approach, ensuring an effective deterrent against near-peer competitors,” the aircraft manufacturer said in a statement.
