Poland deploys combat aircraft to Iceland for first time

Poland has deployed combat aircraft to Iceland for the first time, the NATO Allied Air Command announced on 25 August.

Four Polish F-16s arrive in Iceland for the eastern European nation's first ever deployment to the country. (NATO Allied Air Command)

Four Polish Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50+ Fighting Falcons from the 32 Tactical Air Force Base at Lask arrived at Keflavik Air Base on 24 August, ahead of Poland's first ever rotation for NATO's ‘Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to Meet Iceland's Peacetime Preparedness Needs' mission, as the alliance officially calls the deployment.

“The detachment will conduct Icelandic air surveillance, provide intercept capabilities, and participate in training activities to maintain skills and proficiency,” the NATO Allied Air Command said.

The Polish fighters will spend the first week conducting familiarisation flights over Iceland under the control of the Iceland Coast Guard Control and Reporting Centre Loki at Keflavik. The detachment will then be certified by NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, to fly air policing missions in Iceland's airspace.

The Icelandic mission has also previously been flown by Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Both Finland and Sweden have also deployed fighter aircraft to Iceland for training purposes (not being NATO members, these two nations do not conduct air policing for the alliance).