RAMSTEIN, Germany – The Air Policing (AP) mission in Iceland – called Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to Meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASIC-IPPN) – is a peacetime mission, which is specific and unique to Iceland and aims at safeguarding NATO airspace in the High North.
Like all NATO AP missions, ASIC IPPN involves the use of the Air Surveillance and Control System, Air Command and Control and appropriate air assets, so called Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) or QRA (I) fast jets.
ASIC-IPPN is a peacetime mission, which is specific and unique to Iceland and aims at safeguarding NATO airspace in the High North
In this framework, Allies - in conjunction with the Icelandic authorities - have agreed to maintain a periodic presence of NATO fighter aircraft based at Keflavik to help keep Icelandic airspace safe and secure. For over sixteen years, NATO and eleven of its Allies have conducted this collective mission over Iceland deploying fighter jets to the NATO Ally in the High North for about three to four weeks each year.
A Royal Air Force F-35B takes off at Keflvik Air Base during the most recent deployment of a NATO fighter detachment to safeguard the airspace of the Ally in the High North. Photo Crown Copyright.
A Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 taxiing at Keflavik Air Base; Norway has been regularly providing their fighters - initially F-16s, now F-35s - to the collective NATO air mission in Iceland. Photo courtesy Royal Norwegian Air Force.
A French Air and Space Force Mirage 2000-5 detachment - in 2008 - began the NATO air mission in Iceland demonstrating the collective approach to safeguarding NATO airspace and the solidarity among Allies. Photo courtesy French Air and Space Force.
An Italian Air Force F-35 inside a hangar at Keflavik Air Base; Italy was the first Ally to deploy their 5th generation fighter jets to the NATO air mission in Iceland in June and August 2020.Photo courtesy Italian Air Force.
“NATO’s Icelandic mission started in May 2008, when France was the first Ally to deploy four of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Keflavik,” said Captain Jon Gudnason, Commander of Keflavik Air Base. “It was an outstanding deployment that lasted for over seven weeks and provided a rock-solid foundation for a mission that has since been a success to NATO, Allied Nations and Iceland,” he added.
Since then, these jets deploy to Iceland, familiarise with the airspace, get mission ready certified and execute the NATO mission in Icelandic airspace to ensure the Alliance can conduct full-scale peacetime Air Policing at the shortest possible notice if required by real world events.
In 2024, after the Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 deployment in January and the U.S. Air Force F-15 deployment in June, Royal Air Force had their F-35B stationed in Keflavik from August 9 to September 2, 2024, to safeguard the northern skies of the Alliance. While the Royal Air Force normally employ their Typhoon jets for this type of mission, this was the first time an F-35B squadron operating the Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing variant was certified for NATO Air Policing in Icleand. During their deployment, the F-35Bs practiced short take off procedures using only 300 metres of Keflavik’s three-kilometre runway.
NATO’s northern Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Uedem, Germany, through the NATO Control and Reporting Centre "Loki” at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland controls the fighter jets during QRA and training missions. The CAOC plans, prepares, coordinates and controls NATO Air Policing missions in the northern part of NATO airspace, including the regular NATO fighter deployments to Iceland.