Denmark retires F-16 fleet after 46 years as F-35 takes center stage

Denmark has formally retired its fleet of F-16 fighter jets after more than four decades of service, completing a transition to an all-F-35 combat aircraft force and marking the end of one of Europe’s longest-running F-16 operations. 

The final operational flights took place on January 18, 2026, during a retirement ceremony at Skrydstrup Air Base in southern Jutland. Three aircraft conducted a final formation flight over Danish landmarks before a fourth F-16 landed shortly before 2:00 p.m. local time, closing the aircraft’s service chapter with the Royal Danish Air Force. 

Denmark introduced the F-16 in 1980 as part of the European Participating Air Forces program alongside Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway. The aircraft replaced several Cold War-era fighters, including the F-100 Super Sabre, F-104 Starfighter, and Saab Draken. Copenhagen ultimately acquired 77 F-16A/B aircraft across two main procurement batches, later upgrading 61 of them through the Mid-Life Update program to the F-16AM/BM standard. 

Over its service life, Danish F-16s took part in numerous NATO operations, including Allied Force over the former Yugoslavia in 1999, missions in Afghanistan beginning in 2002, air operations over Libya in 2011, and multiple deployments in the Middle East from 2014 onward. The aircraft also supported Baltic Air Policing, Iceland Air Policing, and sovereignty enforcement missions over Greenland. 

The retirement comes amid heightened political tensions between Copenhagen and Washington related to Greenland’s security, with US officials urging Denmark to strengthen defenses in the Arctic region. In response, Denmark recently dispatched F-35s on long-range training flights to Greenland, demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to operate at extended distances with allied tanker support. 

Denmark selected the F‑35A as the F-16’s replacement, initially ordering 27 aircraft before increasing the total to 43. All are expected to be fully operational by 2027. 

While no longer flying for Denmark, the F-16s will continue operational service elsewhere. Some have been sold to Argentina, which received the first six aircraft in December 2025, while others have been donated to Ukraine. Former Danish F-16s now fly combat missions in Ukrainian service, retaining distinctive self-protection pylons developed by Danish defense firm Terma. 

Denmark now joins Norway and the Netherlands as one of the few countries operating an entirely fifth-generation fighter fleet, closing the book on a platform that defined its air power for nearly half a century. The post Denmark retires F-16 fleet after 46 years as F-35 takes center stage appeared first on AeroTime.

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