Investing.com - Denmark’s purchase of 27 Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) F-35 fighter jets will cost 14 billion kroner ($2.2 billion) more than originally planned, according to a report released Monday by the Danish National Audit Office. The auditors criticized the government for providing inadequate information to parliament about the rising expenses.
The total cost of the aircraft will reach 71.2 billion kroner over 30 years, including expenses such as maintenance and pilot training, up from the defense ministry’s estimate of 57.1 billion kroner. The ministry maintained the original estimate until January 2026 despite receiving information over almost 10 years indicating actual costs would be 14 billion kroner higher.
Denmark ordered the 27 aircraft in 2016 and 2017 and has received 23 jets so far, with the remaining four scheduled for delivery in 2026 and early 2027. The country decided in October 2025 to purchase an additional 16 F-35s after Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine prompted Denmark and its Nordic allies to increase military spending.
The State Auditors found it unsatisfactory that the defense ministry lacked oversight of total expenditures and very unsatisfactory that it failed to adequately inform parliament about expected costs. The ministry did not include all relevant expenses in its latest briefing to parliament’s Finance Committee in October 2025, according to the report.
The higher costs mean fewer funds will be available for other areas of military spending, the auditors said. The new estimate does not include a reserve for unexpected costs or approximately 1 billion kroner for the purchase of two F-35 replacement aircraft that were previously part of the ministry’s expenditure estimate.
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