The mission forms part of NATO’s long-standing air policing effort, which has supported Iceland’s peacetime air defence needs since 2008 under the Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities mission. The Swedish detachment will maintain a continuous Quick Reaction Alert, monitoring NATO airspace across a strategically important corridor linking North America and Europe.
“We have been planning this operation for a long time, and it feels both interesting and important given the current international security situation,” said Lieutenant Colonel Johan Legardt, Sweden’s detachment commander. “The mission is aimed at the collective defence of Icelandic airspace, and it feels good to be able to contribute,” he added.
During the deployment, the Gripen aircraft were refuelled en route by NATO Multi-Role Tanker Transport assets, highlighting alliance interoperability and long-range operational reach. The mission is conducted under the direction of NATO Allied Air Command, with Swedish aircrews working closely with the Icelandic Coast Guard through the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany.
