Royal Danish Air Force F-16C and F-16D seen refuelling from a US Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker over Finland in 2019. Denmark is one of a number of European operators of the F-16 as well as the F-35 platforms

Lockheed Martin is acting as prime for the F-35 programme, with the fifth-generation stealth fighter yet to lose a bid in which it has been allowed to enter

Norway took the move at the end of 2021 to retire its entire F-16 fleet from service, meaning that the newly acquired F-35 would be responsible for its future fixed-wing combat air requirements

The first of eight F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from No 617 Squadron land on the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 ahead of Exercise Strike Warrior