Denmark Expands F-35 Fleet with 16 Additional Fighter Jets

The Danish government and parties to the defence agreement have agreed to allocate DKK 29 billion for the procurement of an additional 16 F-35 fighter jets. This will bring Denmark’s total fleet of F-35s to 43, significantly strengthening the country’s overall military air power. The additional aircraft are intended to enhance the robustness of current operations while enabling new combat missions.

The agreement also includes investments in various supporting capabilities such as spare parts, weapons systems, threat simulators, flight simulators, training equipment, drag parachutes, deployment kits, IT infrastructure, facilities and increased personnel.

“With the planned procurement of 16 additional F-35 fighter jets, we are making a historic enhancement of the Armed Forces. I visited the U.S. in July, where I discussed the possibility of a rapid procurement of more F-35s with the head of the international F-35 program. We have now allocated funding to pursue that opportunity, allowing us to strengthen the build-up of our defence capabilities both rapidly and significantly,” said Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

The Ministry of Defence will now initiate dialogue with the international F-35 program office to secure a fast delivery of the new aircraft. According to the ministry, the ability to deploy a sufficient number of F-35s is a key element of Denmark’s contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence.

Chief of Defence Michael Hyldgaard emphasized the importance of the expansion: “By allocating funds to expand the Danish F-35 fleet to a total of 43 fighter jets, we are significantly strengthening the defence of the Kingdom. The F-35s are already operational within the Air Force, where they play a central role in both operations and sovereignty enforcement. The decision to fund an additional 16 F-35s boosts the Armed Forces’ combat capability and operational flexibility, and significantly enhances Denmark’s military contribution to NATO.”

A new element in the agreement is the planned acquisition of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which are unmanned wingman drones. These can operate in coordination with F-35s and be used for forward weapon deployment or reconnaissance under tactical control of the pilot. The CCAs are seen as a future capability in operational mission execution.

Denmark received its first F-35s in October 2023. Currently, the country operates 15 F-35s at Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, with an additional six based at a training facility in the United States. The final aircraft from the initial order of 27 are expected to be delivered in 2026. Since April 2025, the F-35s have been part of Denmark’s Quick Reaction Alert alongside the F-16, and the full F-35 capability is expected to be operational by 2027.