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, 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.
