[Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin]

The first four of the Kingdom of Denmark’s permanently-based F-35A Lightning II aircraft were delivered to Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark. 

The Lockheed Martin plant here in Cobb County manufactures center wings for the F-35.

According to the press release from Lockheed Martin, “More than 450 Danish and allied government, military and industry leaders gathered to commemorate the milestone, and over 10,000 local citizens participated in the Royal Danish Air Force’s public open house.”

“This milestone event is the realization of the vision, foresight and strategic investment Denmark made more than a decade ago. We expect that the F-35 will play a crucial role in 21st century security missions for Denmark, delivering unmatched 5th Generation capability, connectivity and interoperability,” said Greg Ulmer, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “The F-35 integrates joint forces, providing an unparalleled network effect across allied forces and significantly strengthening alliance-based deterrence across all domains.”

The four F-35s are part of 10 Denmark has purchased.  Four are stationed at Skrydstrup Air Base and six are stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where Danish pilots and maintainers are conducting training.  Denmark plans to have a total of 27 when all deliveries are complete.

Lockheed projects that by the mid-2030s more than 600 F-35s will be stationed in Europe.

According to the press release:

“With the addition of Skrydstrup Air Base, F-35s are now operating from 31 bases worldwide. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 975 F-35s, trained more than 2,180 pilots and 15,000 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 721,430 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin continues to work side by side with F-35 operators to ensure allies remain ahead of the evolving threat.”

To read more, follow this link to the press release on the Lockheed Martin website.

Lockheed Martin and Cobb County

The Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta has been a major employer in Cobb County since 1951, when the Lockheed Corporation, a predecessor of Lockheed Martin, took over the former site of the WWII Bell Bomber plant.

The C-130 program is the largest program operating at the Marietta facility. The plant currently produces the C-130J Super Hercules (see the company’s Fast Facts on the C-130J or the company’s C-30J brochure for more information).

The Marietta plant also provides ongoing support for the C-5 Galaxy, which celebrated its 50^th year in operation in 2018. The C-5 Galaxy is expected to remain in service until 2045.

The Marietta location also supports the P-3 Orion, and manufactures the center wings for the F-35.