Denmark plans to bring home six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters amid ongoing issues with the delivery schedule of the upgraded version of the F-35 aircraft.
Due to delays in the delivery schedule of the upgraded version of the aircraft, Denmark will bring back six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters currently used for pilot training in the U.S. The Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that six Danish F-35 jets in the TR-2 configuration, stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, will be returned to Skrydstrup Air Base of the Royal Danish Air Force. These aircraft will join four stealth fighters already there, increasing Denmark’s operational F-35 count to ten as part of the gradual phase-out of the F-16 fleet.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office report in May, Lockheed Martin is running out of space to park F-35 jets that haven’t been delivered due to hardware and software delays related to the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) update, with full delivery pushed to 2025. This situation negatively impacts fleet replacement plans for countries like Denmark, Belgium, and Norway, which have fleets of dozens rather than hundreds of aircraft and have been flying F-16s for over 40 years.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated, “It is very positive that we have now found a solution to minimize the impact of delays from the manufacturer. The F-35 fighter jets are a significant investment for Denmark in terms of our defense and security for many years to come, and it is crucial that we closely monitor this phase.”
The TR-3 software, initially planned for summer 2023, remains unstable, with reports of some test pilots having to reboot all radar and electronic warfare systems mid-flight. This update includes improved cockpit displays and increased onboard computing power, forming the basis for a more advanced upgrade known as Block 4, which will add new weapons and electronic warfare capabilities.
Denmark stated that Lockheed Martin will initially deliver a limited number of F-35 jets in the TR-3 version, which can only be used for training purposes. The Ministry of Defense said the Danish jets in the older TR-2 configuration will be sent back home once TR-3 software and hardware upgraded aircraft are delivered to Luke Air Force Base.
Baltic States Concerned About Delivery Delay
The Ministry of Defense stated that bringing the TR-2 jets back to the country will allow Denmark to maintain operational milestones for the gradual deployment of the F-35 and enhance the training level of pilots and support staff at Skrydstrup, while continuing pilot training at Luke AFB.
This development raises concerns among current and future European F-35 customers that their carefully calibrated aircraft delivery and upgrade schedules could be disrupted by the TR-3 saga. The Netherlands and Norway already have fleets of over 30 F-35 jets and thus face less urgency compared to countries like Denmark or Belgium, which has yet to receive its first F-35. However, the delays risk pushing back plans to reach full operational capacity.
Norwegian defense officials noted that they have communicated their concerns to the U.S. and the Pentagon’s Joint Program Office, which represents international governments involved in the F-35 program. Oslo is worried that Lockheed Martin will send a mix of partial solutions and different versions to the production line, becoming unmanageable.
The Netherlands foresaw the delays and requested the delivery of six aircraft in the TR-2 configuration instead of the upgraded version in late 2022. The first TR-3 configured F-35s for the Dutch are planned for late 2024, and if the software is not available by then, delays will have “limited impact” on the plan to deploy the third Dutch F-35 squadron.
The Danish Ministry of Defense stated that Denmark purchased 27 F-35s, and the remaining aircraft will be delivered in the TR-3 configuration by 2027. According to the Ministry of Defense, the situation is not expected to affect the donation of F-16s to Ukraine or Denmark’s obligations to NATO. Denmark has yet to respond to the timeline for the return of the six aircraft from the U.S. or the delivery of the remaining 17 F-35s.
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