Farewell to the F-16s. They will fly to the front... and to the south.

The farewell ceremony for the F-16 took place at Denmark’s Skrydstrup Air Base at the end of last week. Among the speakers was former Danish Chief of Defense Gen. Christian Hvidt, who was the first to land an F-16 in Denmark back in 1980. Denmark operated these aircraft for 46 years.

In the 1980s, Copenhagen ordered a total of 70 fighters, with an additional seven delivered from the United States in the 1990s. It is worth noting that—similar to the Dutch, Belgian, and Norwegian fighters—most of them were built on production lines in Belgium and the Netherlands as part of a European program, while Denmark and Norway received significant technology transfers related to avionics component manufacturing. The Danish company Terma also supplies self-defense systems.

In the 1990s, most Danish fighters underwent the MLU (Mid-Life Update) program, a comprehensive modernization effort. This included, among other upgrades, radar improvements and the integration of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (with a range well over 50 km in the latest versions). This was crucial because in their original configuration, Danish F-16A/Bs (like other aircraft of this type) could only engage aerial targets within visual range using AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

This modernization, along with subsequent upgrades, allowed the F-16 to maintain high combat value essentially up to the present day. After several reductions, Denmark retained 30 aircraft in two combat squadrons and stored several more. Ultimately, 19 of them have already been delivered to Ukraine, while the remaining aircraft will be supplied to Argentina through 2028, following modernization and overhauls (the first deliveries took place at the end of 2025; the contract was signed in April 2024).

Today, the ex-Danish F-16s—many of which were manufactured in the 1980s—continue to defend Ukraine’s skies against Russian missiles and drones. They also carry out close air support missions using precision-guided bombs. They avoid direct engagements with Russian aircraft, as these are still older variants, and Russia has adapted by employing long-range air-to-air missiles. It is worth noting that when these F-16s were built, no one likely anticipated such a role. The original, “basic” F-16A/B, without medium-range missiles, was designed for a service life of only 20 years, not more than 40.

Denmark participates in the Joint Strike Fighter program. In 2016, Copenhagen approved the purchase of 27 F-35A aircraft to replace the F-16s. The first of them achieved initial operational capability in 2025. That same year, Denmark decided to acquire an additional 16 F-35As. The Danish Lightning II fleet will consist of 43 aircraft.

This text was originally published on Defence24.pl