US delays delivery of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Denmark until the second half of 2024

Problems with the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) modernisation could not help but affect deliveries of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to foreign customers. Denmark has already announced the upcoming delays.

Here's What We Know

As of July 2023, the Pentagon has decided to send all F-35 fighter jets with TR-3 hardware to the depot. Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon recently updated their estimates of when deliveries will resume. This is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2024.

Some of the new fifth-generation fighters will be delivered to Denmark later than planned. This was announced by the head of the defence department of the Scandinavian country Troels Lund Poulsen.

Due to the delays faced by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 Lightning II will not arrive in Denmark until the second half of next year. It was originally planned that deliveries of the fighter jets would begin during the first half of 2024.

The Royal Danish Air Force needs the F-35 Lightning II for national and international missions. Troels Lund Poulsen plans to discuss the reasons for the delays and ways to resolve the problems with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Denmark ordered 27 fifth-generation fighter jets in the summer of 2016. The deal was worth $3bn and the total cost of maintaining the F-35 Lightning II fleet is estimated at $8.2bn. The plan was to have all the aircraft delivered by 2026.

Source: Danish Ministry of Defence