Policing the land of fire and ice
Four RAF Typhoon jet fighters took part in their first NATO Air Policing mission in Iceland this month. This has been the first time since World War II that an RAF fighter squadron has been based in the country.
The RAF deployment formed part of the ongoing Air Policing mission that NATO conducts at the request of Iceland, a country five times the size of Wales but with a population of just 360,000 and no military force.
Leading the 129 deployed RAF regular and reserve personnel has been Wing Commander Mark Baker from 1(Fighter) Squadron, who is based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
“Before we came here, we were told we were coming to the land of fire and ice, and we’ve certainly experienced a lot of ice with a colder environment than the weather conditions we’re used to back home.”
“We also had an amazingly warm welcome from the people of Iceland.”
The mission involved being on 24-hour stand-by to scramble in response to unidentified aircraft flying towards Icelandic airspace. The Typhoons flew 59 training sorties and more than 180 practice intercepts.
“We’ve achieved the mission, first and foremost, ensuring the integrity of NATO airspace,” notes Commander Baker. “I think we’ve also developed some excellent relationships with the people of Iceland.”
The UK is committed to the security of the baltic region and wider NATO Alliance. RAF Typhoon jets have recently returned from Baltic Air Policing on Op AZOTIZE. The jets and their pilots’ patrol, keeping the airspace safe and reacting to any incursions or incidents.
NATO’s Air Policing Mission is a peacetime defence mission, safeguarding the integrity of the NATO Alliance Members Airspace by policing the airspace 24/7.
Take a look at the best imagery from Op AZOTIZE 👇
Find out where else the UK Armed Forces are deployed here:
