The Lightning II stealth fighters are carrying out defensive patrols and standing ready to scramble to defend the High North. The aircraft are protecting Icelandic airspace and Arctic skies as the UK takes its turn in NATO’s rotational air policing mission.
The mission comes as Russia has significantly increased its military presence in the Arctic, including new bases, airfields and deep-water ports. Arctic Sentry is a NATO enhanced Vigilance Activity designed to strengthen the Alliance’s security posture and situational awareness in the High North.
The mission is led by Joint Force Command Norfolk and coordinates air, sea and land operations. It is intended to counter rising Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, where seven of the eight Arctic nations are now NATO members.
UK jets were scrambled on 2 July to intercept a Russian “Bear F” aircraft after it came unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic Circle. The RAF said the Russian aircraft repeatedly approached the carrier before dropping a large number of tracking devices into nearby waters.
The Royal Navy said F-35 Lightnings were launched from HMS Prince of Wales within minutes to intercept a long-range Russian aircraft. It identified the aircraft as a Tupolev Tu-142 “Bear” maritime patrol aircraft, which was escorted by two stealth fighters from 809 Naval Air Squadron.
The encounter took place in the Norwegian Sea during the latest phase of the UK Carrier Strike Group’s Firecrest deployment. The Royal Navy said the Russian aircraft dropped sonobuoy listening devices and also passed destroyer HMS Duncan.
The current phase of the deployment built up to using a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier for NATO’s air policing mission. Until now, NATO air policing has been carried out solely by aircraft operating from traditional land bases.
The F-35B jets are from 809 Naval Air Squadron and are flown and maintained equally by Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel. The aircraft have been safeguarding Icelandic airspace while also demonstrating the ability to conduct air policing from an embarked carrier environment.
“Air defence is a core role for the Lightning Force and having been accredited previously from land bases, it is great to see the capability expanded further to support our allies from an embarked environment,” said Commander Nick Smith, Commanding Officer of 809 Naval Air Squadron. “I’m incredibly proud of 809 Naval Air Squadron and the wider Carrier Strike Group’s achievements this week in completing NATO Air Policing validation.”
“The proving of communications links, command chains and standard tactics, techniques and procedures have all been demonstrated and we have once again proven interoperability with our NATO partners,” Smith said. The Royal Navy said the validation showed the carrier strike group’s ability to support NATO duties in the High North.
Iceland sits in a critical corridor between Greenland and the United Kingdom, linking the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The Royal Navy said protecting this area helps secure sea and air links between the UK and North America, as well as the trade routes that support British jobs and living standards.
HMS Prince of Wales and the destroyer HMS Duncan can both track incoming aircraft at ranges of more than 200 miles. Fighter controllers on the ships direct the F-35Bs during their missions, linking carrier-based air power with maritime command and control.
The mission also marks 80 years since Reykjavík Airport was formally handed back to the Icelandic Government on 6 July. The RAF said the anniversary marks both the end of Britain’s permanent presence in Iceland and the beginning of one of its longest-standing international defence partnerships.
