Denmark’s First Lockheed Martin F-35 Moves Forward in Assembly Line

The Materiel and Procurement Agency of Denmark shared images of L-001, the first F-35 Lightning II built for the Danish Air Force, moving forward the production line in Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

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The aircraft was lifted out of the so-called Electronic Mate and Alignment Station (EMAS), which is an electronic compatibility and assembly system. In this stage that started on July 16, the L-001 has completed the final assembly of the front, center, and rear of the aircraft, as well as the wing module.

 

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The L-001 is now prepared to stand on the aircraft’s landing gear, and can thus move further down Lockheed Martin’s 1 mile (approximately 1.6 km) long production line. The aircraft will now have the dual tail fins, radar, engine, and other systems fitted.

 

L-001 will be delivered in 2023, completing all 27 deliveries by 2026. The Lightning II will replace Denmark’s aging F-16 fleet. The aircraft will be based in Skrydstrup Air Base. The country, one of JSF’s early partners, will benefit also from industry offsets.