On Monday, March 9, 2026, the U.S. Navy’s NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command), acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, signed a contract worth 700,400,000 USD with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (part of Lockheed Martin) related to an additional order from the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Denmark for more F-35A Lightning II multirole aircraft.
Photos: Forsvaret
This amendment to the production contract expands the scope of procurement of long-lead materials, parts, and components for Lots 20 and 21 of the F-35 full-rate production intended for the Government of Denmark. In addition, the modification provides additional funding to the previously awarded scope, which includes the procurement of long-lead materials, parts, and components for Lots 20 and 21 of full-rate production for partners in the F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) program and customers under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (59%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); and other locations outside the continental United States (2%), with completion planned for December 2030.
Funding comes from a combined budget of 305,900,000 USD from F-35 JSF program partners and 394,500,000 USD from FMS customers and was obligated at the time of contract award, with none of the funds expiring at the end of the current fiscal year (September 30, 2026). These are not all of the funds planned for this contract.
Recently, on January 18 of this year, a ceremony was held in Hangar 3 at Skrydstrup Air Base in the Region of Southern Denmark to mark the retirement, after 46 years of service in the 727th Squadron of the Fighter Wing (Eskadrille 727) of the Royal Danish Air Force (Flyvevåbnet), of the last Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM MLU Block 10/15 multirole aircraft. Twenty-five were sold to Argentina, while nineteen will be transferred to Ukraine as military assistance (twelve of them have been delivered so far).
Their successors are the F-35A Lightning II aircraft discussed above. Denmark initially ordered 27 aircraft, and on October 10, 2025, the completion of negotiations for the purchase of an additional 16 was announced (these plans were first revealed on March 25, 2025, bringing the total to 43 aircraft). Deliveries of the first aircraft began in September 2023, were accelerated in June 2024, and are expected to be completed in 2027. So far, 21 aircraft have been delivered, of which 15 have been transferred to Denmark (the remaining ones are stationed at Luke Air Force Base, where they are used for personnel training).
The Danish F-35A aircraft will be armed with AIM-120C-8 (284 units) and AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM (203 units) medium-range air-to-air missiles, as well as AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range missiles (340 units). They will also be capable of carrying GBU-31 JDAM and GBU-39 SDB I bombs, and the purchase of at least 48 long-range anti-radiation missiles is also planned.
Interestingly, in addition to the fifth-generation aircraft themselves, Denmark also plans to acquire a number of unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the so-called “Loyal Wingmen.” However, the specific type has not yet been indicated (a similar step has also been announced by the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
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