Lockheed Martin has begun production in the US of the first F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft for the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), Danish Defence announced on 6 August.
The aircraft (tail number L-001) is being assembled in an Electronic Mate and Alignment Station. This is an electronic compatibility and assembly system designed to perform final assembly of the front, centre and rear sections of the aircraft, as well as the wing module.
‘This is an important milestone we have reached on the way to receiving the first F-35 aircraft [in 2021],’ said Maj Gen Anders Rex, head of RDAF Air Command.
The first aircraft for the RDAF will remain in the US at Luke AFB for two years, before arriving at Skrydstrup Air Base in 2023.
Denmark has been involved in development of the Joint Strike Fighter since 1997, signing a cooperation agreement in 2007 and implementing type selection in 2013-2016.
The RDAF will acquire 27 F-35As from 2021 to 2026 as it phases out the F-16. It expects the new aircraft to enter service from 2027.
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