First F-35s arrive in Denmark

One of the Royal Danish Air Force's first four F-35As departs Luke Air Force Base in Arizona ahead of its transatlantic crossing to Denmark. (Danish MoD/Lockheed Martin)

The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft for Denmark arrived in-country on 14 September.

The first four aircraft arrived at Flyvestation Skrydstrup (Skrydstrup Air Base) from Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona, where it had been part of the international training effort. Their arrival was attended by senior Danish government and military leaders, including Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

The milestone, came about two-and-a-half years after the first F-35A for Denmark, serial number L-001, was formally handed over to the Danish government and Ministry of Defence (MoD) during a ceremony at Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in April 2021.

The Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) is to receive 27 F-35As to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons, with deliveries running through to 2027.

The RDAF's F-35 livery, which, in common with other international operators of the ‘stealth' fighter, is based on a low-visibility grey colour scheme, features coloured (although muted) roundels and the Dannebrog national flag.

The official induction of the F-35A into RDAF service is scheduled for 1 October.