PRESS RELEASE : RAF to police NATO skies in Iceland following mission in Romania [August 2024]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 8 August 2024.

British F-35B jets have started arriving in Iceland this week to take part in a NATO air policing mission.

This mission will see RAF pilots from 617 squadron defending the alliance’s airspace in the Artic Region.

NATO air policing is a permanent peacetime mission, that preserves the security of Allied skies. It is a collective task and involves the continuous presence of fighter aircraft and crews, which are ready to react quickly to possible airspace violations.

This latest mission comes as the Prime Minister underlined the UK’s cast iron commitment to NATO at its Summit in Washington last month, as he emphasised his determination to safeguard the future of the Alliance and face down global threats to Britain and its western allies.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard said:

The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With threats increasing and growing Russian aggression, it is vital that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies.

This latest air policing mission in Iceland displays the UK’s ability to operate and deter our adversaries across the alliance’s airspace.

Following a successful mission in Romania, where six Typhoon fighter jets and over two hundred personnel were stationed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, defending NATO’s eastern border, the RAF will now move to Iceland. This time, four cutting edge F-35B jets from 617 squadron will be patrolling Icelandic airspace, having travelled from RAF Marham.

This is the first time British jets have taken part in such activity in Iceland since 2019, when four Typhoon jets and flew 59 training sorties and more than 180 practice intercepts.

The F-35B Lightning is held at high readiness to deploy in support of UK and NATO operations Worldwide – from both land and sea.​

It is a multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and low observable stealth technology. This means that enemy radar systems cannot easily detect the aircraft, giving those nations operating the F-35B a significant tactical advantage in many operational scenarios.

Lightning Force Commander, Group Captain John Butcher said:

This will be the first time that the Lightning Force has deployed to contribute to NATO Air Policing, and will no doubt once again prove the flexibility that this platform offers as it demonstrates its capability to operate from both a land and maritime environment.

RAF Typhoons and Voyagers also conduct air policing in the UK through the Quick Reaction Alert Force, based at RAF Coninsgby, Lossiemouth and Brize Norton, protecting UK airspace 24/7, 365 days a year.