Denmark Retires F-16 After 46 Years of Service, Transitions Fully to F-35
Denmark has formally retired the F-16 Fighting Falcon after 46 years of operational service and will now transition fully to the F-16’s successor, the F-35A Lightning II.
The fourth-generation fighter jets took their final flights at the farewell ceremony, which took place at Skrydstrup Air Base.
In service since 1980, the Royal Danish Air Force’s F-16s flew missions over Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the Balkans, supported NATO air policing missions, and helped guard Greenland and Iceland.
However, the retiring fleet has been redirected toward allied needs, with several donated to Ukraine to support its ongoing war effort and 24 used aircraft sold to Argentina, which received its first Danish F-16 in December.
F-35 as Successor
Denmark plans to operate 43 F-35A fifth-generation fighters for frontline air defense and strike missions, replacing the long-serving F-16 fleet.
The total includes an original 27-aircraft order, supplemented by an additional 16 jets approved in October 2025, amid heightened regional security concerns, including drone incursions into Danish airspace and rising geopolitical tensions over Greenland.
The first four F-35s from the initial order arrived in September 2023, with delivery of the remaining aircraft expected in 2026.
In April 2025, the Royal Danish Air Force declared the F-35 ready to assume air defense interception duties alongside the F-16, marking a transitional phase toward full operational capability.
Recently, two Danish F-35 jets conducted a training mission involving aerial refueling, long-distance flights, and safety with France’s Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft in Greenland.
Meanwhile, the entire fleet is expected to be fully operational by 2027, providing Copenhagen with enhanced situational awareness, stealth, and networked warfare capabilities suited to modern, multi-domain conflict environments.
