Ministry of Defence of Denmark

10/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2025 11:11

Denmark to acquire 16 additional F-35 fighter jets

Denmark is significantly increasing the combat power of the Danish Armed Forces by acquiring 16 additional F-35 fighter jets. This brings the total F-35 fleet of the Danish Armed Forces to 43 fighter jets.

"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. 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," says Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

The Danish Ministry of Defence will now initiate a dialogue with the F-35 Joint Program Office on the details of the acquisition of additional F-35 fighter jets, including possibilities for accelerated delivery of the new fighter jets to support a rapid upscaling of the Danish Armed Forces' combat power.

"Expanding the fleet of F-35 fighter jets is a key decision in the build-up of the Danish Armed Forces. 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, says Danish Chief of Defence Michael Hyldgaard.

The acquisition includes the procurement of additional replacement parts, threat simulators, flight simulators, training instrumentation, braking parachutes, deployment kits, facilities, and additional staffing.

In addition to the acquisition of fighter jets a number of unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircrafts (CCA) will also be acquired.

General information related to the acquisition:

  • With the 2016 Agreement on the Acquisition of New Fighter Jets, the parties to the agreement - the Liberal Party of Denmark, the Social Democrats, the Danish People's Party, Liberal Alliance, and the Danish Social Liberal Party - resolved to acquire 27 new F-35 fighter jets to replace the existing F-16 fighter jets.
  • Denmark received the first F-35 fighter jets in October 2023 at Fighter Wing Skrydstrup.
  • Denmark currently has 15 F-35 fighter jets at its disposal, six of which are stationed at a training base in the United States.
  • The delivery of the remaining fighter jets from the current order of 27 F-35 fighter jets is expected in 2026.
  • On 1 April 2025, the Danish Air Force announced that the F-35 fighter jets were ready to be incorporated into Denmark's air-defence interception readiness, together with the F-16 fighter jets. The F-35 fighter jet capacity is expected to be fully operational in 2027.
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