As of January 15, four F-35 fighter aircraft are scheduled to fly NATO Air Policing sorties out of Keflavík Air Base, Iceland, until mid-February. This is the fourth time Norway deploys their fifth-generation jets to this mission.
In mid-January, four Norwegian F-35s and crew will arrive Iceland to carry out Iceland Air Policing 2024. Iceland Air Policing is a reoccurring #NATO mission, established to safeguard the country’s airspace. And the majestic scenery makes the mission even better! #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/eTylgmnlvV
— Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret (@Forsvaret_no) January 8, 2024
The Norwegian detachment conducts the first of three Allied fighter deployments to Iceland scheduled in 2024. Two Norwegian F-35s at Keflavík will be on stand-by 24/7 ready to scramble to safeguard NATO and international airspace near Iceland. Sorties will include training and alert scrambles e.g. to identify unknown aircraft as a legitimate response to maintain territorial integrity of the NATO Ally in the High North.
Under NATO Air Policing arrangements, which are overseen by Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany, all Allies collectively contribute to the mission across the airspace in Europe. At home, the Royal Norwegian Air Force keeps a watchful eye on own and adjacent airspace. Their F-35s carry out this mission for NATO from Evenes Air Base, some 1400 kms north of Oslo, where they are ready to scramble 24/7/365.
Since 2008, NATO Allies have continuously deployed fighter aircraft to Iceland on a rotational basis to provide and train interceptors ensuring safety and security of the Icelandic airspace integrating the Ally in the High North into NATO Air Policing.