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(USAF) ceased deploying fighter units to Keflavik Air Base in September 2006, and the U.S. Iceland Defense Force was withdrawn.[1][2] Following the American withdrawal Russian Air Force 37th Air Army aircraft entered Icelandic airspace on several occasions.[3]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]

DatesNationalityAir ForceUnitAircraftNotesReference
5 May – 30 June 2008 FranceFrench Air ForceEC 01.002 Cigogne4 x Mirage 2000CDeployment had a strength of 110 personnel[12][13][14]
September 2008 United StatesUnited States Air Force48th Fighter Wing? x F-15C Eagle[15][16]
4 - 30 March 2009 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force727 squadron, 730 squadron and Air Control Wing.4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon48 personnel deployed[11][17][18]
? 2009 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force338 skv & 331 skv? x F-16AM Fighting Falcon[11][19][20]
? 2009 United StatesUnited States Air Force??[11]
8 – 29 March 2010 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force727 squadron, 730 squadron and Air Control Wing.4 x F-16AM Fighting FalconThis deployment included two ground intercept controllers from the Estonian Defence Forces.[17][21][22]
1 – 25 June 2010 GermanyGerman Air ForceJagdgeschwader 716 x F-4F Phantom II[23]
6 – 24 September 2010 United StatesUnited States Air Force493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing8 x F-15C EagleAbout 200 personnel deployed[24][25]
28 March – 30 April 2011 CanadaRoyal Canadian Air Force409 Tactical Fighter Squadron5 x CF-188 HornetAbout 140 personnel deployed[26][27]
? 2011 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force331 skv? x F-16AM Fighting Falcon[11][20]
? 2011 United StatesUnited States Air Force?[11]
5 March – 2 April 2012 GermanyGerman Air ForceJagdgeschwader 716 x F-4F Phantom II[28]
1 May – 7 June 2012 United StatesUnited States Air Force493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron4 X F-15C Eagle1 x KC-135 Stratotanker & 1 x C-130J Hercules supported deployment[29][30][31]
7 August–20 September 2012 PortugalPortuguese Air Force201 and 301 Squadrons6 x F-16AM Fighting FalconDetachment had a strength of 70 personnel[32]
18 March – 28 April 2013 CanadaRoyal Canadian Air Force425 Tactical Fighter Squadron6 x CF-18 HornetDetachment consisted of 1 x CC-150 Polaris & 160 Canadian Forces personnel[33]
7 June – 10 July 2013 ItalyItalian Air Force4° Stormo - 9° Gruppo6 x Eurofighter Typhoon2 x KC-767, 1 x C-130J Super Hercules and about 150 personnel deployed[34][35]
November 2013 United StatesUnited States Air Force493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 48th Air Expeditionary Group6 x F-15C Eagle
2 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker personnel deployed		[36]
27 January – 21 February 2014 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force338 skv & 331 skv6 x F-16AM Fighting FalconAbout 110 personnel deployed[37][38][19][20]
16 May – 5 June 2014 United StatesUnited States Air Force48th Air Expeditionary Group6 x F-15C Eagle1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker & about 200 personnel deployed[39][40]
10 October – 3 December 2014 Czech RepublicCzech Air Force211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C Gripen75 personnel deployed[41][42]
17 April 2015 – United StatesUnited States Air Force871st Air Expeditionary Squadron4 x F-15C Eagle1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and about 200 personnel deployed[43]
27 July – 28 August 2015 Czech RepublicCzech Air Force211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C GripenThe detachment conducted 91 sorties, and included 8 pilots and 60 other personnel.[44][45]
31 August – 1 October 2015 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force?4 x F-16AM Fighting FalconDetachment had a strength of 60 personnel

[46][47]

4–28 April 2016 United StatesMassachusetts Air National Guard131st Fighter Squadron4 x F-15C Eagle1 x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and about 160 personnel deployed[48][49]
30 May 2016 – ?? NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force?4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon4 weeks June 2016 / About 80 personnel deployed[50]
5 October – late October 2016 Czech RepublicCzech Air Force211th Tactical Squadron5 x JAS 39C Gripen75 personnel deployed[51][52]
16 March – 14 April 2017 ItalyItalian Air Force4° Stormo6 x Eurofighter Typhoon145 personnel deployed for 3.011 million Euro[53][54][7]
18 May – Mid-June 2017 CanadaRoyal Canadian Air Force433 Tactical Fighter Squadron6 x CF-18 HornetDetachment consisted of 154 personnel[55]
23 August – Late September 2017 United StatesFlorida Air National Guard159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron6 x F-15C Eagle1 x KC-135, 1 x KC-10 aircraft and personnel from both the Louisiana and Florida Air National Guard. Detachment included approximately 280 personnel.[56][57][58]
14 April 2018 - 30 May 2018 DenmarkRoyal Danish Air ForceEsk 7304 x F-16AM Fighting FalconApproximately 60 personnel[59][60][61][62][63]
30 July - 31 August 2018 United StatesUnited States Air Force493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron14 x F-15C EagleIncluded 300 personnel[64][65][66]
4 September – 5 October 2018 ItalyItalian Air Force37° Stormo - 18° Gruppo4 x Eurofighter Typhoon120 personnel deployed[8][67]
11 March 2019 – 11 April 2019 ItalyItalian Air Force36° Stormo - 10° Gruppo & 12° Gruppo4 x Eurofighter Typhoon130 personnel deployed[68][69][70][71]
29 July - 10 August 2019 United StatesUnited States Air Force480th Fighter Squadron5 x F-16COver 100 personnel deployed[72][73][74]
1 – 25 October 2019 ItalyItalian Air Force32° Stormo - 13° Gruppo6 x F-35A Lightning IIF-35's first Icelandic Air Policing deployment. 1 x KC-767 supported deployment[10][75][76][77]
13 November – 10 December 2019 United KingdomRoyal Air ForceNo. 1 Squadron4 x Eurofighter TyphoonApproximately 100 personnel[78][79][80][81]
21 February – March 2020 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force332 Squadron4 x F-35A Lightning II130 military and civilian personnel[82][83]
9 June – mid-July 2020 ItalyItalian Air Force32° Stormo - 13° Gruppo6 x F-35A Lightning II135 military personnel[84][85]
13th October 2020 - Present  United States United States Air Force 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing ? x F-15C Eagle [86]

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.[87][88] 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.[89] 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.[90]

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]

References
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