Danish F-35 Jets Intercept Airspace Over Bornholm Amid Rising Drone Threats

On Sunday evening, over the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, crews took to the skies for another sortie of the interceptor patrol system: two F-35 fighter jets were scrambled to assist. According to the island’s police, citing Ritzau, witnesses confirmed that both aircraft flew over the area. The main purpose of the movement was to safeguard Denmark’s sovereignty and to control the airspace, with the possibility of providing support to civilian vessels if needed.

The Royal Danish Air Force is based at Skrydstrup Air Base and can quickly take to the skies at any time of day. Officially, the country’s defense ministry has not yet commented on the incident. Residents of the region heard the rumble of engines and wondered about possible drone activity. Police also noted that poor visibility could partly explain several calls to the emergency services.

Interceptions over the Baltic Sea

Since the start of the year, the interception system has been activated 33 times – all deployments were recorded over the Baltic Sea. Last week Denmark also recorded drone flights over airports and military facilities. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen noted that these events are signs of hybrid warfare aimed at eroding trust and fracturing society.

Drones and aerial threats

According to preliminary data, on the evening of September 22, the police of Denmark and Norway documented drone incidents in Copenhagen and Oslo. In the capital Copenhagen, the appearance of two large drones brought traffic to a complete halt at the most important airport, Kastrup. At least 35 flights were redirected, several passenger aircraft circled over the city, and one made an emergency landing due to a lack of fuel. The airport’s operations were restored at around midnight after a four-hour shutdown. Also Aalborg Airport in the north of the country closed overnight from September 24 to 25 due to drones entering the airspace.

According to the Danish Minister of Defence, drones were observed around a number of Danish airports and military facilities throughout the evening and night. He said this is clearly not a coincidence.

This is clearly not a coincidence

Since then, the country’s leadership continues to strengthen airspace monitoring and tighten security measures near key facilities. Experts stress that such incidents require a systemic response from the entire defense bloc, including modernization of interception infrastructure and improving coordination with civilian aviation.