Despite Tensions Over Greenland United States Delivers Three New F-35A Lightning IIs to Denmark
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The Danish Air Force received three new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole fighters on January 12, 2025, marking a major milestone in its gradual transition from its aging fleet of F-16s. The three aircraft arrived at Skrydstrup Air Base on January 12, after departing Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and making a technical stopover in the Azores. Their delivery was supported by US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft, illustrating the close partnership between Denmark and the United States in developing next-generation combat capabilities for the Danish Air Force.
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The F-35A is a stealth multirole fighter designed to carry out conventional takeoff and landing missions. (Picture source: Danish MoD)
According to the Danish Ministry of Defence, the arrival of these three fighters brings the total number of F-35As delivered to Denmark to 17. Of these 17 aircraft, 11 are now stationed on Danish soil, while the remaining 6 are still based at Luke to train Danish pilots and technicians. This “dual-base” approach allows Denmark to gradually increase its operational availability while continuing to train its personnel on this fifth-generation fighter.
Denmark’s F-35 program, designed to replace its end-of-life F-16s, calls for the delivery of a total of 27 aircraft. The first deliveries began in 2023, following the launch of Danish pilot training in the United States in 2020. The first Danish pilot took the controls of an F-35 in January 2021, flying a US Air Force aircraft—an example of the growing interoperability among the many nations operating the F-35.
The Danish Air Force plans to reach Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its first F-35 squadron this year. As the F-35s gradually take over from the F-16s, they will notably assume air policing duties, essential for protecting Danish airspace. The complete transition to the F-35 will span several years, with a period of parallel operation of both aircraft types until the F-16 fleet is definitively retired.
The F-35A is a stealth multirole fighter designed to carry out conventional takeoff and landing missions. It is an American aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney. Many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, Finland, Canada, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Greece, and Germany, have chosen this model to enhance their air defense capabilities.
The F-35A’s armament notably includes an internal 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon and advanced air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder. It can also carry guided bombs like the GBU-31 JDAM and the GBU-39 SDB, as well as munitions intended to counter enemy radars like the AGM-88 HARM. In addition, the fighter has external hardpoints capable of accommodating up to six additional weapons or fuel tanks. Its electronic and detection capabilities rely on a powerful AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) providing 360-degree situational awareness, an Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), as well as a Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS). It is equipped with secure data links and an electronic warfare suite to jam enemy radars and protect against missiles.
Weighing up to 31,800 kilograms at takeoff, the F-35A is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine providing 28,000 pounds of thrust dry and 43,000 pounds with afterburner, enabling it to reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (about 1,930 km/h). Its range depends on the mission, varying from a combat radius of about 2,220 kilometers to more than 3,600 kilometers with an appropriate configuration. The aircraft measures 15.7 meters in length, 4.4 meters in height, and has a wingspan of 10.7 meters—dimensions that provide the flexibility needed to operate from a variety of air bases.
Globally, more than 1,100 F-35s have already been delivered by Lockheed Martin, underscoring the growing adoption of this fighter by numerous air forces. Denmark thus becomes the fifth European country to put the F-35 into service on its national territory, after Norway, the Netherlands, and others. Belgium and Poland have also received their first F-35s, currently stationed in the United States for pilot training.
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The Danish Air Force received three new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole fighters on January 12, 2025, marking a major milestone in its gradual transition from its aging fleet of F-16s. The three aircraft arrived at Skrydstrup Air Base on January 12, after departing Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and making a technical stopover in the Azores. Their delivery was supported by US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft, illustrating the close partnership between Denmark and the United States in developing next-generation combat capabilities for the Danish Air Force.
The F-35A is a stealth multirole fighter designed to carry out conventional takeoff and landing missions. (Picture source: Danish MoD)
According to the Danish Ministry of Defence, the arrival of these three fighters brings the total number of F-35As delivered to Denmark to 17. Of these 17 aircraft, 11 are now stationed on Danish soil, while the remaining 6 are still based at Luke to train Danish pilots and technicians. This “dual-base” approach allows Denmark to gradually increase its operational availability while continuing to train its personnel on this fifth-generation fighter.
Denmark’s F-35 program, designed to replace its end-of-life F-16s, calls for the delivery of a total of 27 aircraft. The first deliveries began in 2023, following the launch of Danish pilot training in the United States in 2020. The first Danish pilot took the controls of an F-35 in January 2021, flying a US Air Force aircraft—an example of the growing interoperability among the many nations operating the F-35.
The Danish Air Force plans to reach Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its first F-35 squadron this year. As the F-35s gradually take over from the F-16s, they will notably assume air policing duties, essential for protecting Danish airspace. The complete transition to the F-35 will span several years, with a period of parallel operation of both aircraft types until the F-16 fleet is definitively retired.
The F-35A is a stealth multirole fighter designed to carry out conventional takeoff and landing missions. It is an American aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney. Many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, Finland, Canada, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Greece, and Germany, have chosen this model to enhance their air defense capabilities.
The F-35A’s armament notably includes an internal 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon and advanced air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder. It can also carry guided bombs like the GBU-31 JDAM and the GBU-39 SDB, as well as munitions intended to counter enemy radars like the AGM-88 HARM. In addition, the fighter has external hardpoints capable of accommodating up to six additional weapons or fuel tanks. Its electronic and detection capabilities rely on a powerful AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) providing 360-degree situational awareness, an Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), as well as a Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS). It is equipped with secure data links and an electronic warfare suite to jam enemy radars and protect against missiles.
Weighing up to 31,800 kilograms at takeoff, the F-35A is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine providing 28,000 pounds of thrust dry and 43,000 pounds with afterburner, enabling it to reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (about 1,930 km/h). Its range depends on the mission, varying from a combat radius of about 2,220 kilometers to more than 3,600 kilometers with an appropriate configuration. The aircraft measures 15.7 meters in length, 4.4 meters in height, and has a wingspan of 10.7 meters—dimensions that provide the flexibility needed to operate from a variety of air bases.
Globally, more than 1,100 F-35s have already been delivered by Lockheed Martin, underscoring the growing adoption of this fighter by numerous air forces. Denmark thus becomes the fifth European country to put the F-35 into service on its national territory, after Norway, the Netherlands, and others. Belgium and Poland have also received their first F-35s, currently stationed in the United States for pilot training.
