Norwegian Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian Air Force) has sent four F-35 Lighting II fighters to police Iceland’s airspace, marking the first deployment abroad for the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s most advanced fighter.

NATO’s Air Policing mission in Iceland, formally called Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs, is responsible for monitoring the airspace in and around Iceland while ensuring that all air traffic is identified. Because Iceland has no military, Allies provide this service on a rotating basis.

The F-35 Lightning II is a stealthy, supersonic, multirole fighter designed to meet the requirements of the United States and allied defense forces worldwide for an affordable next generation fighter. It will replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft currently in the inventories of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied defense forces.

The F-35 program’s hallmarks – affordability, survivability, sustainability and lethality – are achieved through the use of the most modern military aircraft technologies, state-of-the-art production facilities, and a high degree of commonality.

More than 490 aircraft, including 134 in 2019, have been delivered and are operating from 21 bases around the globe. More than 975 pilots and 8,585 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 240,000 cumulative flight hours.