Finnish Air Force to Participate in Icelandic Air Policing for the First Time
The Finnish Air Force will secure NATO skies by deploying four F/A-18 Hornets to Keflavik Air Base for the next rotation of the Icelandic Air Policing mission in February 2025.
The Finnish Air Force is preparing to safeguard the NATO skies for the first time as a NATO member by deploying four F/A-18 Hornets to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, in February 2025 for the Icelandic Air Policing mission. The Finnish Jets will be on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty in Iceland for three weeks, and during this time they will closely collaborate with Icelandic Coast Guard and personnel from the CRC (Control and Reporting Center) Keflavik to ensure the security of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) airspace.
This mission marks the Finnish Air Force’s third participation in a NATO operation. Previously, in July 2023, Finnish fighter jets secured the skies during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania and, in the summer of 2024, they supported the Enhanced Air Policing on NATO’s eastern flank by deploying seven F/A-18s to Romania.
Preparation for this mission is not only limited to the deployment of the aircraft that will be completed in January 2025, but it also includes transporting materials and supporting logistics to accommodate a contingent of 50 people. Lastly, the Combined Air Operation Center (CAOC) of Uedem, Germany, under the Allied Air Command, will launch a certification event at the end of January, after which the Finnish Fighters detachment will be cleared to start Quick Reaction Alert duties in Iceland.
Even though this is Finland’s first Icelandic Air Policing Mission, it is not the first time the Finnish Air Force has operated in Iceland. Back in 2014, Finnish F/A-18s touched down in the Land of Ice and Fire to participate at the Iceland Air Meet 2014 exercise.
“Finland’s participation in the NATO Icelandic Air Policing mission will strengthen the Alliance’s presence in the High North. The deployment will be a concrete example of Nordic cooperation and the Finnish Air Force’s capability to carry out missions throughout NATO territory. The Norwegian and Danish Air Forces have regularly contributed to the Air Policing mission in Iceland, so this is a natural task for Finland as well. It is in line with Finland’s objectives that NATO has recognized the strategic importance of the High North,” says the Commander of the Finnish Air Force, Major General Timo Herranen.
Icelandic Air Policing
Iceland does not have its own air force, so, since 2008, NATO Allies have periodically detached fighter aircraft to Keflavik Air Base to provide protection for Icelandic Airspace. The Icelandic Air Policing mission, officially known as Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to Meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASIC-IPPN), differs from other regional assistance operations in that the Icelandic skies are not permanently covered by a Quick Reaction Alert cell.
Instead, NATO Allies deploy fighter aircraft to Iceland for a period of three to four weeks at a time, typically three times a year. For an instance, the last deployment for the Icelandic Air Policing mission was in August 2024, when the RAF deployed for the first time there with its F-35Bs.
NATO’s northern Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, controls the fighter jets involved in the Air Policing mission through the NATO Control and Reporting Center located at Keflavik.
The Control and Reporting Center “Loki”, named after the Norse mythology figure, has been operated by Icelandic controllers, supported by NATO personnel, since 2006.
CRC Loki serves four remote radar sites, each located at a respective “corner” of Iceland. The radars monitor Iceland’s airspace and beyond, providing radar data from between Europe and American continent. CRC “Loki” is the central location for the operation of the Icelandic Air Defence System, that is an integral part of the NATINAMDS.
An eye on NATO’s Air Policing mission
NATO, as a defensive alliance, is committed to safeguarding its members against aerial threats. This task is accomplished through the Air Policing mission 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Established in 1961 during the Cold War, the NATO Air Policing mission is currently carried out thanks to the support of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS) which is a comprehensive network that integrates Sensors, Missile Defence Systems and Aircraft shielding the NATO Alliance both in peacetime and during crisis or conflicts.
The NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), located in Ramstein, Germany, oversees the command and control of the Air Policing mission through two Combined Air Operations Centers (CAOCs): one In Torrejón, Spain, managing the airspace located south of the Alps, and one in Uedem, Germany, covering the northern part. To conduct this mission the CAOCs are closely working with the CRCs and dedicated Quick Reaction Alert cells across their respective areas of regional responsibility.
Recognizing that not all NATO members possess the necessary assets to fulfill the Air Policing mission, other NATO members support countries without these resources, either individually or in multinational teams. NATO is currently conducting over five national regional Air Policing missions in support of these allies, including Iceland.
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What happens during an air interception?
When a suspicious activity is detected, the alerted NATO Combined Air Operation Center can decide to further investigate by scrambling armed fighter jets. These jets are launched from one of over 32 airbases where NATO Fighters are maintained on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) status. Depending on the situation, the aircraft can be airborne in 15 minutes or less.
Once airborne, the QRA interceptors are directed by controllers at the Control and Reporting Center to intercept and visually identify the suspicious aircraft. During these missions, the pilots are exposed to a variety of possible scenarios, ranging from foreign military aircraft entering NATO’s Area of Responsibility to civilian airplanes in distress. Once the mission is completed the jets return to their home station.
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The Finnish F/A-18 Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet is a twin-engine multi-role fighter jet which forms the backbone of the Finnish Air Force. Finland currently operates its F/A-18s from two main bases: Rovaniemi Air Base, home of the Lapland Air Wing, and Kuopio Air Base, home of the Karelia Air Wing. In the event of a crisis, the Hornets can be deployed to operate from dispersed highway strips.
Selected in 1992 to replace Finland’s aging fleet of Saab Draken and MiG-21bis fighters, the F/A-18 entered in service between 1995 and 2000. The Finnish twin seaters were produced in the United States by McDonnel Douglas, which later merged with Boeing, while the single-seat aircraft were assembled at the Patria Finavitec facility in Finland.
The aircraft received two significant Mid Life Update programs, the most recent being completed in 2016. These programs were focused on enhancing weapons, communication, interrogation, countermeasures systems and revising the cockpit layout. Among the modifications were the introduction of the AIM-9X Sidewinder, AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), JDAM bomb, AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM and Link 16.
In 2021, Finland selected the F-35A as a replacement for its F/A-18 fleet. With an order of 64 aircraft, the Finnish Air Force is set to receive its first F-35A at the end of 2026. The first aircraft is already in production and scheduled for completion in Autumn 2025.