The U.S. Air Force has announced that F-15C/D Eagle fighter jets assigned to the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are deployed to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, in support of NATO Air Police operations.
On Sunday, the 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs press release said that U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagles, assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron, departed Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, for Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, in support of NATO Air Police operations Oct. 8, 2020.
The United States Air Force assumed full control of NATO’s commitment to the region October 12, 2020, according to a recent service news release.
Air Police operations remain a fundamental component to how NATO provides security to its members. These peacetime missions contribute to the collective defense of alliance nations, like Iceland, Albania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Montenegro, as the single standard for safeguarding sovereign airspace within NATO’s area of responsibility.
“The routine deployment demonstrates Alliance solidarity and the transatlantic linkage at work,” said U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Andrew Hansen, NATO Allied Air Command Deputy Chief of Staff Operations.
The mission demonstrates NATO’s continued evolution of air agility capabilities and adaptation to meet new security challenges to protect all members. Aircrews stand prepared to monitor and manage Icelandic airspace for the next few weeks as they operate and familiarize themselves with the unique geographical location.
