US Air Force F-16s Deploy to Iceland for NATO Policing Mission

Four fighters and 120 Air Force personnel will operate out of Keflavik Air Base.

Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 11:30 AM ET

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron departs Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to support NATO Air Surveillance and Policing at Keflavik International Airport (BIKF) in Iceland on October 22. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

An Air Force squadron of four F-16 fighter jets and over 100 personnel has deployed to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, for a three to four-week NATO air policing mission.
This deployment, involving routine flight training and exercises, is the first Air Force fighter deployment to Iceland in two years.
Iceland is strategically important to NATO for North Atlantic situational awareness, especially amidst increased competition and militarization in the Arctic by Russia and China.

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An Air Force flight squadron of four F-16 fighter jets and more than 100 personnel have deployed to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, to conduct NATO policing.

“For the next [few] weeks, they will conduct regular air policing in Iceland on behalf of NATO,” the Government of Iceland said. “The mission is carried out in cooperation with NATO Control and Command Centre in Uedem in Germany and the Command and Reporting Centre at Keflavik Air Base.”