RAF to police NATO's skies in Iceland following successful mission in Romania

RAF F-35B jets from RAF Marham have deployed to Iceland to take part in a NATO air policing mission. This is the first time that British F-35s will have conducted a NATO air policing mission.

This follows the recent completion of a similar four-month mission by Typhoon aircraft in Romania. The F-35Bs from 617 Squadron will defend NATO airspace in the Arctic 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.  

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 now moves to Iceland.

This time, the cutting edge F-35 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 flew 59 training sorties and more than 180 practice intercepts.

The F-35 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-35 a significant tactical advantage in many operational scenarios. 

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

Group Captain John Butcher, Lightning Force Commander 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.”

Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces 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.”

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