Four American F-15Cs, KC-135s, along with 200 U.S. Airmen, will be in Keflavik,
Iceland from April 3 to 28 to conduct an Air Surveillance mission.
The mission
is in support of U.S. NATO alliance commitments to ensure Iceland’s peacetime
preparedness.
The focus is
to carry out routine flight training and exercises so the Alliance can meet
Iceland’s needs to stay prepared to monitor and manage its airspace in
peacetime. It usually involves a deployment of around three-four weeks, three
times a year of fighter aircraft from Allied nations.
These
aircraft familiarise themselves with the airspace and are certified by the
Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Uedem to execute the NATO mission in
Icelandic airspace. This approach allows the Alliance to conduct full-scale
peacetime air policing activities at the shortest possible notice if required
by real world events.
While
deployed, the Airmen will also conduct aerial training, including aerial
refueling.
The four
United States Air Force F-15Cs are from the 131st Expeditionary Fighter
Squadron, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts and the 194th
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Fresno Air National Guard Base (ANG),
California. They will be joined by the Air Force Reserve Command KC-135s from
the 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma and 916th Air Refueling
Wing, Seymour Johnson, North Carolina.
The United
States has conducted this NATO mission in Iceland annually since 2008. This
mission continues to demonstrate their commitment to NATO and the security of
Europe.
This deployment takes place under the US Theater Security Package.