“With the acquisition of 16 additional F-35 fighter jets, we deliver a historic strengthening of the Danish Air Force and the Danish Armed Forces,” said Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen. “I am very pleased that we have concluded this agreement on the additional F-35 acquisition, which significantly increases the combat power of the Danish Armed Forces.”
The Ministry will now enter into dialogue with the F-35 Joint Program Office to discuss acquisition details, including the possibility of accelerating delivery. This effort aims to support a rapid boost in operational capacity within the Danish Air Force.
“Expanding the fleet of F-35 fighter jets is a key decision in the build-up of the Danish Armed Forces,” said Danish Chief of Defence Michael Hyldgaard. “The F-35 fighter jets are already a crucial operational part of both operations and assertion of sovereignty. With the decision to acquire 16 additional fighter jets the combat power, flexibility and Danish contribution to NATO is increased significantly.”
The acquisition also includes support elements such as replacement parts, flight and threat simulators, braking parachutes, deployment kits, facilities, training instrumentation and increased staffing. In addition, Denmark will procure several unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to complement the fighter jet fleet.
Under the 2016 Agreement on the Acquisition of New Fighter Jets, Denmark initially committed to buying 27 F-35s to replace its ageing fleet of F-16s. The first Danish F-35s arrived in October 2023 at Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, and 15 aircraft are currently in service, including six based at a U.S. training facility.
The remaining aircraft from the original order are expected to be delivered by 2026. As of 1 April 2025, Denmark’s F-35s were officially incorporated into national air-defence readiness alongside the F-16s, with full operational capability expected by 2027.
Source: Danish Ministry of Defence (press release).
