Belgian fighter jets are keeping watch over Iceland this month—a task that NATO members take on a rotating basis, as Iceland lacks an air force.

NATO member Belgium has deployed four of its American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon single-engine multirole jet fighters, along with approximately 100 military personnel to Keflavik Air Base in Iceland as part of NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. It marked the second deployment to the base outside the capital of Reykjavik by Belgian forces this year.

Earlier in the week, the Belgian Air Force formally assumed the Icelandic Air Defense mission, which also supports the international military alliances’ enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) Arctic Sentry operations.

Brussels’ F-16s are expected to remain for a month-long deployment.

“Belgian F-16s have touched down in Iceland once again to help safeguard NATO’s airspace,” said the Belgian Icelandic Air Defence detachment commander, Belgian Senior Captain Glenn Hanssen. “During this month-long deployment, they will strengthen NATO’s Arctic air defence and contribute to the Alliance’s collective security.”

The F-16 Fighting Falcon’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 1978
• Number Built: 4,600+
• Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
• Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)
• Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
• Weight:
  • Empty: ~18,900 lb (8,570 kg)
  • Standard conditions: ~26,500 lb (12,020 kg)
  • Maximum: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)
• Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or General Electric F110-GE-100/129 afterburning turbofan
• Top Speed: Mach 2.0 (approx. 1,500 mph or 2,414 km/h) at altitude
• Combat Radius: ~340–550 mi (550–885 km)
• Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
• Loadout: Up to 17,000 lb (7,700 kg) on 11 hardpoints
• Aircrew: 1 (2 on some variants)

Belgium’s F-16s Have Been All Over Europe

The Belgian Air Component is reported to operate approximately 53 F-16 Fighting Falcons, all of which have been upgraded to the Mid-Life Update (MLU) standard. The small European nation’s program of record for the US-made fighters stood at 160, with the aircraft acquired between 1979 and 1991.

The current fleet consists of around 44 F-16A single-seat models, and nine F-16B twin-seat training variants. The fleet has been downsized as part of military restructuring.

Belgium is among the NATO partners now adopting the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, and it has pledged to provide its legacy F-16s to Ukraine. The phased handover of the aircraft to Kyiv is scheduled to span several years to maintain Belgium’s domestic counter-air capabilities and to support its NATO obligations, notably the ongoing air policing mission.

The Belgian contingent arrived in Iceland following its recent deployment in Lithuania, Estonia, and Romania earlier this month.

“This deployment marks NATO Allied Air Command’s new unified approach to Air Defence,” NATO explained. “Under the Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) framework, Air Policing will be subsumed under NATO’s new and comprehensive Air Defence posture.” 

According to the defense alliance, the IAMD will entail “a comprehensive multi-layered approach” that was carefully developed to address and counter threats to the alliance members. That will include the Air Policing missions, but also Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft, Sea and Surface-Based Air and Missile Defense (SBAMD) systems, and counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (c-UAS).

QRA aircraft remain ready to intercept unidentified or suspicious aircraft at short notice.

Why Does NATO Have to Defend Iceland?

Although Iceland is a member of NATO and is strategically located in the North Atlantic, it has no armed forces of its own, requiring other NATO nations to pitch in to patrol its airspace. Other alliance countries regularly deploy their aircraft and support personnel to the island nation, which is situated within the geostrategically vital “GIUK” (Greenland, Iceland and United Kingdom) gap, the naval choke point that separates the open Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the High North.

The alliance’s Air Policing missions first began in 1961 to safeguard and protect NATO airspace. The specific mission to Iceland dates back to 2008 at Keflavik Air Base. Although Iceland has no air force, NATO partners do coordinate with the Icelandic Coast Guard.

“The Belgian Air Force’s assumption of this vital mission in Iceland marks a significant move to a single Integrated Air and Missile Defence posture,” said German Major General Frank Gräfe, chief of staff for NATO Allied Air Command. “Allied Air Command continues to strengthen NATO’s Air Defence umbrella with a multi-layered, 360-degree approach involving assets and capabilities across all operational domains, to address emerging and future threats – whether crewed or uncrewed, aircraft or other.”

NATO has significantly increased its military presence and operational focus in the High North and Arctic region, driven by retreating sea ice that has opened new maritime routes. That has resulted in increased Russian military activity in the region, as well as Chinese commercial interest. In addition, President Donald Trump has questioned whether Europe is doing enough to protect its interests there—notably with respect to Greenland, which the president has previously expressed a desire to annex, against the will of Europe and the Greenlanders themselves.

In February, NATO officially activated the Arctic Sentry initiative to better synchronize allied surveillance, air policing, naval patrols, and military exercises across the circumpolar north. It follows last October’s opening of the new Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Bodø, Norway, to oversee air operations in the Nordic region, High North, and Barents Sea.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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