Denmark to Order 10 Additional F-35 Jets, Taking Ordered Inventory to 37

Denmark will order at least 10 more F-35A fighter jets from the United States, increasing its total ordered fleet to 37, according to Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

The announcement followed high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., where the Danish delegation—including Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Chief of General Staff Michael Hyldgaard—met with U.S. officials to discuss procurement timelines and long-term delivery prospects.

Poulsen said the order will be placed before October 2025, as Denmark looks to avoid future delays by securing delivery slots early. “If we don’t place the order now or this fall, we risk ending up in a very long line,” Poulsen said.

The additional purchase is expected to cost “billions,” though exact figures were not disclosed. The estimated unit price of each F-35A stands at approximately $80 million, depending on the inclusion of TR-3 modernization features.

Once finalized, the order will bring Denmark’s total F-35 inventory to 37. Currently, 15 of the 27 previously ordered jets have been delivered and deployed in-country. An additional six aircraft remain in the U.S., where they are used for training Danish pilots and technical personnel at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

The move supports Denmark’s efforts to meet NATO capability targets and expand its readiness for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) operations. In March 2025, the Royal Danish Air Force used the F-35 in a QRA mission for the first time, intercepting a Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

The full transition from Denmark’s legacy F-16s to the F-35 fleet is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. However, Poulsen noted that full operational capability for the entire fleet will depend on delivery schedules, maintenance logistics, and broader economic factors.

Denmark initially joined the Joint Strike Fighter program in 2002 as a Level 3 partner, investing $110 million. While the original procurement plan aimed for 48 aircraft, budget constraints reduced the number first to 30 and then to 27. The 27-jet order was approved in 2016 despite competing offers, including Boeing’s F/A-18F Super Hornet proposal.

Denmark received its first four F-35s in September 2023. Additional deliveries took place in early 2025 and May 2025, despite temporary delays caused by bird strike damage protocols during a ferry flight in late 2024.