Milestone for Denmark as first F-35A takes flight
First Royal Danish Air Force F-35A takes to the skies, with 26 more to follow in the years ahead.
Denmark has become the fifth NATO air force in Europe to add the F-35 Lightning II to its fleet, following Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK.
The F-35A is set to be a game changer for Denmark, allowing the RDAF to train and fight alongside NATO allies and create a strong deterrent.
While the Danish milestone is an encouraging sign, the F-35 programme has still not entered full-rate production in the US because of problems in maturing the Joint Simulation Environment simulator that is required to complete initial operational testing of the fighter.
The F-35 also faces renewed scrutiny from Congress in 2021 and there is speculation that the UK will decide to procure 90 fewer aircraft than originally planned.
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