F-35 Lightning II fighters will help Ukraine get F-16 Fighting Falcon from Denmark earlier

The acceleration of deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II to the Danish air force brings the transfer of the F-16 Fighting Falcon to Ukraine closer. The Scandinavian country is preparing to decommission the fourth-generation fighters two years earlier than planned.

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This was announced by Acting Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. He also noted that pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force are to undergo a training course to fly F-16s. The training programme will last for six to eight months.

Denmark had planned to retire the F-16s in 2027 but will do so in 2025. This has been made possible by the accelerated delivery of the F-35 Lightning II. All fifth-generation fighters will enter service with the Danish Air Force between autumn 2023 and the end of 2025.

The Scandinavian country now has 43 F-16s, of which about three dozen are still in use. They will be replaced by 27 F-35 fighters, which were ordered in 2016.

Source: DR