The report concerns the Ministry of Defence’s overview of the total costs of acquiring and operating the 27 F-35 combat aircraft approved by the Danish Parliament in 2017.
The purpose of the study is to assess whether the Ministry of Defence has an overview of the total costs of the F-35 aquisition and whether the Ministry has ensured transparency to the Danish Parliament regarding the costs of acquiring the aircraft.
We answer the following questions in the report:
- Does the Ministry of Defence have a reliable estimate of the total costs of acquiring and operating the F-35?
- Has the Ministry of Defence provided the Danish Parliament with adequate information about the costs of acquiring the F-35?
Rigsrevisionen concludes that the Ministry of Defence has not had an overview of the total costs of the F-35 aquisition. For 10 years, the Ministry significantly underestimated the total costs by approximately DKK 14 billion (2017 prices), and the information on the acquisition that the Ministry passed on to the Danish Parliament did not provide transparency regarding the costs. Rigsrevisionen finds this unsatisfactory. The consequence is that, all else being equal, fewer funds will be available for other areas of the Danish Defence than originally anticipated.
Rigsrevisionen initiated the study in October 2025.