TSAMTO, November 16. The official ceremony of handing over four multi-purpose F-35A Lightning-2 fighters to representatives of the Danish Air Force Command, which flew 100 hours from May to the present, took place at the Luke Air Base (USA).
As reported by Airrecognition.com, Lockheed Martin will transfer two more aircraft to the Danish Air Force in mid-2022, and another machine is planned to be delivered by the end of next year. According to the plan, the first Danish F-35s will land at the Skridstrup Airbase (Denmark) in October 2023. All 27 ordered F-35 fighters are expected to be finally commissioned in 2027.
Denmark has participated in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development program since 1997, which allowed Danish specialists to participate in the creation of the fighter, and enterprises to receive orders for the production of components. Based on the results of the evaluation conducted during 2013-2016, on May 12, 2016, the Danish government decided to recommend the purchase of at least 27 new F-35 Lightning-2 fighters to replace the F-16 of the country's Air Force. In 2017, the Danish Parliament approved a bill on appropriations for the F-35, covering all elements of the program until 2026.
The Danish Air Force currently has 30 F-16 fighters in combat, which have been in operation since 1980. Obsolete aircraft should be gradually decommissioned by 2024.
The assembly of the forward fuselage of the first F-35 for the Danish Air Force began at the enterprise in Fort Worth (pcs.Texas) January 16, 2020. The first four vehicles, as they were assembled (starting in May 2021), flew to the US Air Force base "Luke" (Arizona), where they are used to train personnel of the Danish Air Force.
It is planned that the first F-35A will arrive in Denmark in 2023. They will be stationed at the Skridstrup Airbase, where work is currently underway to create the necessary infrastructure. In June 2020, the Danish Parliament approved a law on the construction of specialized facilities at the airbase for the operation of the F-35A. It is expected that the intended use of F-35 fighters of the Danish Air Force will begin from 2027.
