With an eye on deterring Russia, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) has dispatched its F-35B to participate in a key NATO Policing Mission over Iceland for the first time. 

The UK Ministry of Defense (UK MoD) has announced that four F-35B combat aircraft have been deployed to the Keflavík Air Base in Iceland as part of the UK’s NATO air policing and training fleet.

As per the announcement, four aircraft and support crew from the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) 617 “Dambusters” Squadron arrived in Iceland from their home stations at RAF Marham in England. Before beginning air policing duties, the four jets and their crew would complete a pre-deployment workup for roughly two weeks.

“Following a successful [NATO air policing] mission in Romania, where six [Eurofighter] Typhoon fighter jets and over 200 personnel were stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu 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 traveled from RAF Marham,” the MoD said in a statement.

RAF pilots from 617 Squadron will be protecting alliance airspace in the Arctic Region during this deployment. Since 2019, when four Typhoon aircraft flew 59 training flights and more than 180 practice intercepts, British jets have not participated in any such operation in Iceland.

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The MoD statement strongly emphasized that the F-35B Lightnings are maintained at a high state of readiness to robustly support operations carried out by the United Kingdom and NATO globally, both on land and at sea.

Before the UK, only Italy had deployed its F-35B for a mission over Iceland.

In contrast to other NATO member nations, the British military exclusively uses the F-35B aircraft, a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fighter jet, specifically engineered for operations from short-field bases and air-capable vessels.

Group Captain John Butcher, Lightning Force Commander, noted the significance of this deployment, saying, “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.”

The deployment comes at a time of heightened tension between NATO and Russia, with several instances of interception of Russian fighters by NATO aircraft recorded over the last two years. Its importance grows as the fighters will protect NATO airspace in the Arctic—a region that is increasingly emerging as a new area of competition between the US-led NATO and Russia.

More importantly, Iceland is a vital but vulnerable NATO member due to its advantageous location in the North Atlantic. The NATO air policing operation was established in response to Russian military aircraft’s airspace intrusions after the U.S. Air Force withdrew its F-15s from Keflavik in 2006. Russian military aircraft are still stopped off Iceland’s coast.

Moreover, the UK MoD’s decision to deploy F-35Bs instead of Typhoons allows the UK to showcase the stealth fighter’s versatility. The F-35B Lightning is a multi-role stealth combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors and mission systems. Thanks to its stealth characteristics, which make it difficult for hostile radar systems to detect the aircraft, it offers a major tactical advantage in a variety of operational settings.

It also reinforces the growing utility and significance of the F-35 Lightning II, which has become a fighter of choice in Europe since the Russian forces rolled into Ukraine for their so-called ‘special military operation’ in February 2022.

Increasing Influence Of F-35s On NATO’s Defense Strategies 

Last month, Lockheed Martin said that NATO’s defense and interoperability are being strengthened by the growing number of F-35 fighter jets stationed around Europe. It noted that the F-35s were bolstering NATO’s collective defense posture by providing the alliance access to cutting-edge air, land, and sea capabilities.

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It supported the assertion by highlighting that an international mix of F-35s from around the world took part in NATO’s inaugural basic fighter maneuvering exercise in June in Germany, where American Air Force mechanics performed their first maintenance on Norwegian F-35s.

Further, in April, Norwegian pilots successfully intercepted Russian Tu-95MS bombers over the Norwegian and Barents Seas, highlighting the strategic significance of the F-35.

The US-based manufacturer also highlighted the growing interoperability of the F-35s and stressed their role in enhancing NATO’s strength through increased force multiplication. It mentioned that American F-35s visited Sweden for the first time in March as part of scattered aviation operations. Sweden is NATO’s newest member.

In the same month, it noted that the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35s replaced Dutch F-16s in Benelux Air Policing duties, and Danish F-35s trained with Swedish Gripens. Additionally, the American F-35s and Polish F-16s were sent to Poland in April to protect NATO’s Eastern flank.

In another instance, the seamless integration of allied forces was demonstrated in Norway when U.S. and Norwegian crews carried out their first-ever unsupervised F-35 cross-service mission.

Later, in May, the biggest U.S.-led exercise in Europe to date was carried out when American and Dutch F-35s flew over the Baltic Sea in large-scale training operations alongside F-16s and other friendly aircraft. The following month, Swedish and Finnish fighters joined Norwegian F-35s for a training session over Norway’s coast with an American B-52 bomber.

The manufacturer said Italy had also made significant progress with its F-35 program. Supporting F-35B Initial Operational Capability, the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour carrier strike group has participated in multiple NATO deployments and drills.

Lockheed expressed optimism by noting that the number of F-35s in Europe is expected to rise, with over 600 aircraft planned to be deployed in the region by the 2030s

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