Four new F-35 fighter jets arrive in Denmark
20Four F-35 fighter jets arrived in Denmark on 6 December 2024. The jets, flown from the United States, landed at Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, the country’s primary base for military aircraft.
This addition brings Denmark’s F-35 fleet to eight, with three more jets expected to arrive over the winter, increasing the total to 11. The new aircraft will progressively replace the ageing F-16 jets, which have served as Denmark’s primary defence force for decades.
The transition from F-16 to F-35 is both complex and transformative. While all personnel have undergone training in the U.S., integrating the jets into daily operations at Skrydstrup has been a major undertaking. Colonel Jensen highlighted the next operational milestone: “The planes, pilots, and technicians must be ready to begin taking over airspace defence duties from the F-16s in 2025.”