Danish F-16s retired earlier

On 26 June 2023, the Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Paulsen, announced that Denmark will retire the F-16 in 2025, two years earlier than planned.

Just a year ago, on 20 June 2022, Denmark said that the country was to keep its fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons operational three years longer than originally planned until 2027.

The main reason for the change of plans is the possible delivery of F-16s to Ukraine. According to Troels Lund Paulsen, the replacement for the F-16, the F-35A Lightning II will be operative by 2025. The first F-16s could be delivered to Ukraine early 2024.

The Danish Ministry of Defence also reported that training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 has already started and that pilots must spend six to eight months of training on the aircraft. At the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Ramstein the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine was discussed including a training programme, not only for pilots, but also for technical staff.

Final approval for delivery of the aircraft to Ukraine has to be given by the US. The number of former Flyvevåbnet (RDAF, Royal Danish Air Force) F-16s for Ukraine has not been mentioned.

Strikingly, the Colombian government is currently negotiating with Denmark on a possible sale of twelve F-16s as an interim solution to replace the ageing fleet of Kfir fighter aircraft.

Photo by Ad Jan Altevogt (Scramble Archive)