The First Danish F-35 Fighter Takes Shape
August 06, 2020 - The aircraft with tail number L-001 arrived at Electronic Mate and Alignment Station (EMAS), which is the first time you visually get the feel of an assembled aircraft. EMAS is an electronic compatibility and assembly system designed to perform the final assembly of the front, center and rear of the F-35, as well as the wing module.
In the period 2021 to 2026, Denmark will acquire 27 new fighter jets. The F-35 is phasing out the F-16, which since the 1980s has given Denmark the ability to assert Danish sovereignty, take part in international operations and contribute to NATO's collective defense. The new Danish F-35 fighter jets are expected to be able to solve the full task complex nationally and internationally from 2027.
The head of the Air Force Command, Major General Anders Rex, who in 2021 will be handed over the aircraft with tail number L-001, states in this connection: “This is an important milestone we have reached on the way to receiving the first F-35 aircraft. The production of the F-35 aircraft to Denmark is beginning to take shape, and we are very much looking forward to the F-35 contributing to the Danish Armed Forces.”
The first Danish F-35 fighter jets will continue to be in the USA, and it is not until 2023 that Danish F-35 aircraft will land at Skrydstrup Air Base. The director of the F-35 Fighter Program, Major General Henrik Lundstein, comments on the milestone: “As a partner in the F-35 program, Denmark has from the beginning been involved in developing the F-35 aircraft. It is therefore a great pleasure to see the first Danish F-35 fighter jet now a reality. This milestone is an important step on the way to the Armed Forces officially handing over the first aircraft to be included in the training of Danish F-35 pilots at Luke Air Force Base in 2021.”
Since 1997, Denmark has participated in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development work, which, among other things, has ensured early involvement of Danish industry in the program. In 2007, the Danish side signed the JSF co-operation agreement, and from 2013-2016, Denmark implemented the type selection process, which culminated in a political agreement to procure the F-35.
Learn more from the Danish Ministry of Defence.
