Skrydstrup (EKSP) 2023

[Arjan]

Never had any trouble there before and the pics I took were clearly well into the sky. The guy was the station manager. He was clear about being around the premises of the airfield but not sure about the approaches though. The first wave had just taken off so I didn't wait for them to return as there was much more interesting stuff flying around little bit to the south then.

[Herby]

There are still no problems on the meadows in the approaches. Military police will come and check you, so tell them you only take pictures in the air.

[Herby]

Denmark will together with the Netherlands donate F-16s to the Ukraine.

As Denmark still has some ten F-16BM the training of the Ukrainian pilots can commence in the next few days at Skrydstrup.

After different articles the first F-16AM could be handed over in March 2024 as the training could last some six to eight months.

https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/danmar ... il-ukraine

[Herby]

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyj is visiting Denmark at the moment and obviously sat in F-16BM ET-199 (another new Have Glass V one !) at Skrydstrup in the first cockpit together with the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen in the second. Dannebrog E-191 was also part of the small ceremony in the hangar and that´s the reason it was not at Roskilde Air Show.

Denmark will donate 19 aircrafts. It is possible that all are Block-15 ones leaving the less capable seven Block-10 still for QRA.

[Herby]

Six F-16 should be delivered until the end of 2023, eight in 2024 and five in 2025.

[Herby]

The Norwegian TV publishes today that two Norwegian F-16 will go to Skrydstrup to help to train Ukrainian pilots.

Norway also is offering the Ukraine some of their F-16. All in all 57 are available, but 32 were fixed for the Romanian AF and 12 for Draken International. So eleven could at least be possible, not counting the two F-16BM (most likely).

[Herby]

F-16AM/BM of Fighter Wing, Esk 727 and 730, on 7.9. taking off from 9.55-10.05h were:

E-074, E-598, E-606, ET-199 (Have Glass V) plus E-011 (Have Glass V), E-017 both of QRA, "Moon Beam".

The afternoon mission taking off from 12.42-13.03h and comprised off:

E-024, E-074, E-075, E-598, E-606 and ET-615

There was no kind of sight of special or additional training missions due to the Ukranian pilots on the base. Also no sight of any Norwegian F-16BM yet.

No Esk 722 EH-101 Merlin Mk.512 or Station Flight T-17 flew.

[Herby]

One day later then planned the first four Flyvevåbnet F-35A will arrive at Skrydstrup on 14.09.

https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2023-09- ... il-danmark

Obviously they arrived at Lajes yesterday evening.

[Herby]

Arriving on 14.09. from Lajes were the first F-35A for Esk 727, L-007, L-008, L-009 and L-010. They arrived just after 14.00h.

But the first flying of the day was an Alpha Scramble at 8.34h of F-16AM E-017 and E-609 (Have Glass V). They stayed airborne for remarkable 2 hours 20 minutes.

First missions of the day went airborne from 9.50-10.00h with eight F-16AM/BM:

E-005 (Have Glass V), E-018 (Have Glass V), E-024, E-074, E-597, ET-022 (Have Glass V), ET-613 (Have Glass V) and ET-614.

The afternoon mission was taking off from 12.57-13.22h:

E-005 (Have Glass V), E-018 (Have Glass V), E-024, E-074, E-597, E-598, ET-022 (Have Glass V), ET-199 (Have Glass V). The latter was the escort for the F-35A and taking air to air shots.

Arriving with some high ranking officers were T-17 T-430 and T-432.

Flying one mission was EH-101 Merlin Mk.512 M-504 of Esk 722.

[Herby]

All four of the arriving F-35A already are wearing the Esk 727 badge on the left side of the fin.

[Herby]

As in the next few months the first six F-16 will leave the Flyvabnet here is die complete list of F-16AM/BM noted active with Fighter Wing during the year 2023:

AM (nomal camo) (23 a/c):

E-004, E-006, E-008, E-016, E-017, E-024, E-074, E-075, E-107, E-189 (Block-10), E-191 ("Dannebrog", Block-10), E-596, E-597, E-598, E-599, E-600, E-601, E-602, E-603, E-606, E-607, E-608, E-611

AM (Have Glass V camo) (7 a/c):

E-005, E-007, E-011, E-018, E-604, E-605, E-609


BM (normal camo) (5 a/c):

ET-197, ET-198, ET-207 (Block-10), ET-614, ET-615

BM (Have Glass V camo) (3 a/c):

ET-022, ET-199, ET-613

Not accounted for are F-16AM:
E-190 (last noted active in 2022, Block-10),
E-194 (last noted active in 2022, special 60 years Flyvevabnet fin, Block-10)
E-610 (last noted active in 2022)
and F-16BM:
ET-208 (last noted active in 2021, Block-10)
ET-612 (last noted active in 2022)
Some of the yet not noted aircraft are likely candidates for another Have Glass V "update".

Of the 43 strong fleet 38 different flew during nine months of the year. For the last time in history it was in this kind of strength! This shows the brilliant care and maintenance of the Danes. Obvisously also some Block-10 F-16 should go to the Ukraine, presumably also E-191!

[Herby]

Obviously the Folketing decided to spend additional 143 Mrd Kroner for Defense in the next years. Further F-35 are likely, 10-12 would be a possible number.

Of the four F-35A three are not official taken over by the Flyvevåbnet yet and have to go through some acceptance checks. The first missions presumably are not before mid-October, as some Danes told me.

[Herby]

F-16BM ET-615 arrived obviously today at the Hovedværksteder Aalborg. Perhaps it will get „Have Glass V“ or some further attention.

[Herby]

Two Esk 727 F-35A made their first flights on 27.09. for familiarization visits at Karup and Aalborg.

In the morning of 28.09. L-007 and L-010 were active and also F-16AM/BM E-005, E-007 (both Have Glass V), E-024, E-074, E-075, E-608, ET-022 and ET- 613 (both Have Glass V) flew.

Esk 722 Merlin Mk.512 M-519 landed as new SAR helicopter and M-508 departed.

Many thanks to RJ.

[Herby]

On 1.10. the Flyvevåbnet celebrated the official inauguration of the F-35A with a small open day with some flying. Some high ranking visitors and even Crown Prince Frederik and forsvarsminister Troels Lund Poulsen were also on base.

Noted in a small static display on the base were F-16AM E-191 „Dannebrog“ of Esk 727, F-35A L-008 of Esk 727 plus mock-up F-35A L-050. Very interesting was T-17 T-420 in Have Glass V! Also noted was Esk 722 EH-101 Merlin Mk.512 M-516, N-977 MH-60R of Esk 723 plus AS.550C-2 P-339 of Esk 724. WfU T-33A DT-884 and CF-104 R-825 were also part of the static.

Flying were Esk 727 F-35A L-007 and L-010 and F-16AM E-005 (Have Glass V), E-597 and F-16BM ET-613 (Have Glass V) acting as photo ship. One F-35A and one F-16AM each flew in a westerly and easterly flight route respectively over most parts of Denmark to show the new aircraft type to the country.

Esk 722 Merlin Mk.512 M-520 was also arriving from Karup.

Corrected: The „Have Glass V“ T-17 was T-420.