As a European Participating Air Force (EPAF) the Royal Danish Air Force has led from the front in the F-16 Fighting Falcon program. With sights now set on the F-35 Lightning II, Combat Aircraft looks at this small but capable force.
A COMPACT FIGHTING ARM, the Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force, RDAF) includes a pair of F-16 squadrons assigned to the EPAF’s Expeditionary Air Wing. Never shy of rolling their sleeves up and getting stuck in when duty calls, RDAF F-16s have participated in numerous combat roles and both squadrons now have a core of very experienced and well-respected pilots, many of whom have more than 1,000 hours in the popular F-16.
Since the first delivery in 1980, the RDAF’s F-16s have been through various update programs, bringing new features and capabilities to the fleet, as well as extending airframe service lives.
The most significant of these F-16 upgrades is the well-documented mid-life update (MLU) program that the RDAF joined when the initial planning stages began in 1989. In total, the RDAF upgraded 48 single-seat F-16As and 13 two-seat F-16Bs. All were modified at the main F-16 depot at Aalborg air base in northern Jutland. Most RDAF F-16s remaining in service have been u…
