Denmark to compensate homeowners for excessive noise from F-35s

June 12 (UPI) -- Denmark's government will compensate homeowners near an air base affected by excessive noise caused by arrivals and departures of F-35 fighter planes.

"A broad political majority consisting of the Left, Conservatives, the Danish People's Party, the Liberal Alliance, the Radical Left, and the Social Democracy is behind the political agreement to compensate approximately 1,600 homes in the area of the additional noise the F-35 aircraft brings in comparison to the current F-16," the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

Denmark will acquire its first F-35A from builder Lockheed Martin in 2022, with purchase of 26 more planned. As early as 2017, noise problems caused by other countries' F-35s were reported to have affected at least 41 private homes near the Skrydstrup air base. In 2016 the Danish parliament advised the installation of noise monitoring systems at other air bases in the country.

Thursday's announcement did not mention plans for noise reduction at Skrydstrup, or potential compensation figures for homeowners. However, parliament approved building facilities at the base for the exclusive use of F-35 planes at another air base, Skveststrup Flyvestation. The dedicated airspace will presumably take noise issues into account.

"Today, I have passed an important law," said a Facebook comment by Defense Secretary Trine Bramsen on Thursday. "It ensures that our new F-35 fighter aircraft can light up and land."