Ninth Partner Joins F-35 Program

Denmark became the ninth F-35 partner nation to join the production and support phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program by signing the F-35 Production, Sustainment, and Follow-On Development Memorandum of Understanding on 27 February. Denmark extends its cooperation in the program beyond the current system development and demonstration, or SDD, phase and joins the family of partner nations that will cooperatively develop, produce, test, train, and operate the F-35 Lightning II. Denmark's work on the program includes advanced composites, communications software, control surface components, and weapon pylons. Denmark joined the JSF program in 1997. In 2002, it became the first European nation to enter the program’s SDD phase.