Icelandic Air Policing

Icelandic Air Policing is a NATO operation conducted to patrol Iceland's airspace. As Iceland does not have an air force, in 2006 it requested that its NATO allies periodically deploy fighter aircraft to Keflavik Air Base to provide protection of its airspace. The first deployment of aircraft took place in May 2008.

Icelandic Air Policing
A USAF F-15C Eagle fighter flying over Iceland during an Icelandic Air Policing patrol in April 2015
ObjectiveRegular patrols of Icelandic airspace
DatePeriodically since May 2008
Executed byNATO
OutcomeOngoing

Background

As Iceland does not maintain an air force, the country was left without means to patrol its airspace when the United States Air Force (USAF) ceased deploying fighter units to Keflavik Air Base in September 2006, and the U.S. Iceland Defense Force was withdrawn.[1][2] Following the American withdrawal Russian Air Force 37th Air Army aircraft entered Icelandic airspace on several occasions.[3]

Prime Minister Geir Haarde requested that Iceland's NATO allies assume responsibility for protecting Iceland's airspace during the Riga Summit in November 2006. The North Atlantic Council agreed to this request at its July 2007 meeting.[1] The other NATO member states who lack the ability to patrol their own airspace have similar arrangements in place.[4] In March 2008, Prime Minister Haarde denied that the air policing operation was targeting Russian aircraft, and stated that "It is going to be a general patrolling exercise. We consider Russia to be our friends, by the way."[5]

As of January 2013, NATO had re-designated the deployments to Iceland as being the "Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland's Peacetime Preparedness Needs" mission, and emphasised to reporters that it was focused on training rather than air policing.[6]

Since 2014 the aircraft deployed to Iceland have been placed on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) status and flown armed patrols. While these tasks were not previously undertaken, it was decided to commence them in response to the deterioration in relations between Russia and NATO countries following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the conflict in Donbass, Ukraine.[7]

In 2018, the deployments to Iceland came under the Allied Air Command and were controlled by NATO's northern Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem in Germany.[8]

Deployments

In contrast with the Baltic Air Policing mission, which involves the continuous presence of fighter aircraft from NATO countries at Šiauliai International Airport in Lithuania and Ämari Air Base in Estonia, the Icelandic government requested that NATO not maintain a permanent force at Keflavik.[1] Instead, an average of three deployments are made per year, with each lasting from three to four weeks.[9][10] Most deployments involve four fighter aircraft, though the number varies with some being larger.[10]

As of December 2019, the following deployments have been made to Iceland:[11]

DatesNationalityUnitAircraftNotes
5 May – 30 June 2008 FranceEC 01.002 Cigogne4 x Mirage 2000C[12]Deployment had a strength of 110 personnel[13]
September 2008 United States48th Fighter Wing? x F-15C Eagle[14][15]
March 2009 Denmark727 squadron, 730 squadron and Air Control Wing.[11]4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon[16]
? 2009 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force[11]? x F-16AM Fighting Falcon
? 2009 United StatesUnited States Air Force[11]?
8 – 29 March 2010 Denmark727 squadron, 730 squadron and Air Control Wing.4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon[16][17]This deployment included two ground intercept controllers from the Estonian Defence Forces.[18]
1 – 25 June 2010 GermanyJagdgeschwader 716 x F-4F Phantom II[19]
6 – 24 September 2010 United States493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing8 x F-15C Eagle[20]
28 March – 30 April 2011 Canada409 Tactical Fighter Squadron5 x CF-188 Hornet[21][22]
? 2011 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force[11]? x F-16AM Fighting Falcon
? 2011 United StatesUnited States Air Force[11]?
5 March – 2 April 2012 GermanyJagdgeschwader 716 x F-4F Phantom II[23]
1 May – 7 June 2012 United States493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron [24]4 X F-15C Eagle
1 X KC-135 Stratotanker
1 X C-130J Hercules[25][26]
7 August–20 September 2012 Portugal201 and 301 Squadrons6 x F-16AM Fighting FalconDetachment had a strength of 70 personnel[27]
18 March – 28 April 2013 Canada425 Tactical Fighter Squadron6 x CF-18 Hornet
1 x CC-150 Polaris		Detachment consists of 160 Canadian Forces personnel[28]
7 June – 10 July 2013 ItalyItalian Air Force 4° Stormo - 9° Gruppo[29]6 x Eurofighter Typhoon
2 x KC-767
1 x C-130J Super Hercules		About 150 personnel deployed[30]
November 2013 United States493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 48th Air Expeditionary Group[31]6 x F-15C Eagle
2 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
27 January – 21 February 2014 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force6 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon[32]About 110 personnel deployed [33]
16 May – 5 June 2014 United States48th Air Expeditionary Group[34][35]6 x F-15C Eagle
1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker		About 200 personnel deployed
10 October – 3 December 2014 Czech Republic211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C Gripen75 personnel deployed[36][37]
17 April 2015 – United States871st Air Expeditionary Squadron[38]4 x F-15C Eagle
1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker		About 200 personnel deployed
27 July – 28 August 2015 Czech Republic211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C GripenThe detachment conducted 91 sorties, and included 8 pilots and 60 other personnel.[39][40]
31 August – 1 October 2015 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon [41]Detachment had a strength of 60 personnel

[42]

4–28 April 2016 United StatesMassachusetts Air National Guard – 131st Fighter Squadron[43]4 x F-15C Eagle
1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker		About 160 personnel deployed[44]
30 May 2016 – ?? NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon [45]4 weeks June 2016 / About 80 personnel deployed
5 October – late October 2016 Czech Republic211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C Gripen75 personnel deployed[46][47]
16 March – 14 April 2017[48] Italy4th Wing[7]6 x Eurofighter Typhoon145 personnel deployed for 3.011 million Euro [49]
18 May – Mid-June 2017 Canada433 Tactical Fighter Squadron6 x CF-18 HornetDetachment consisted of 154 personnel[50]
23 August – Late September 2017[51] United States159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron6 x F-15C
1 x KC-135
1 x KC-10[52]		Aircraft and personnel from both the Louisiana and Florida Air National Guard. Detachment included approximately 280 personnel.[53]
April 2018 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force4 x F-16AM Fighting FalconApproximately 60 personnel[54]
August 2018 United States493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron14 x F-15C Eagle[55]Included 300 personnel
4 September – ? 2018[8] Italy37° Stormo - 18° Gruppo4 x Eurofighter Typhoon
11 March 2019 – ? 2019[56] Italy36° Stormo - 10° Gruppo & 12° GruppoEurofighter Typhoon
29 July - 10 August 2019 United States480th Fighter SquadronF-16C [57]Over 100 personnel deployed[58]
1 – 25 October 2019[59][60] Italy32° Stormo - 13° Gruppo6 x F-35A Lightning II
1 x KC-767[10]		F-35's first Icelandic Air Policing deployment.[61]
November – December 2019[62] United KingdomNo. 1 Squadron RAFEurofighter TyphoonApproximately 100 personnel[63]
February – March 2020[64] NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force4 x F-35A Lightning II130 military and civilian personnel
June – mid-July 2020[65] Italy32° Stormo6 x F-35A Lightning II135 military personnel

A planned deployment of four British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons from No. 3 (F) Squadron in December 2008 was cancelled as a result of the Icesave dispute between Britain and Iceland.[66][67] Poland also cancelled a planned deployment of F-16 fighters to Iceland in 2010 due to the impact of the financial crisis of 2007–2010.[68] As part of the terms of an agreement signed in March 2019 between the British and Icelandic governments, the RAF was scheduled to undertake an air policing deployment to Iceland in 2019.[69]

Fighter aircraft deployed to Iceland are accompanied by NATO Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft to enhance the Iceland Air Defence System radar network as well as other supporting aircraft as required.[4]

In addition to the NATO deployments, fighter aircraft from Finland and Sweden have also undertaken training in Iceland.[7]

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