In May of this year, the Czech Republic will deploy its Gripen fighter aircraft to Iceland as part of the Icelandic Air Policing mission, the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Czech Republic announced.

The fighter aircraft will safeguard Iceland’s airspace for two months under NATO’s command.

Given Iceland’s geographic location, NATO members have agreed to a periodic presence of NATO fighter jets, based in Keflavik, to ensure the security of its airspace.

The Icelandic Air Policing mission involves the deployment of fighter jets from Alliance countries, typically for one to two months, three times a year.

This is less frequent compared to other air missions, such as the Baltic Air Policing mission in the Baltic states.

The Czech Republic is sending fighter aircraft to Iceland for the fourth time. As Iceland does not have its own air force, its airspace is regularly safeguarded by NATO allies.

The Czech contingent will be primarily composed of personnel from the 21st Tactical Air Force Base Čáslav, supported by servicemen from other units.

This deployment follows thorough preparation, which culminated in a final assessment conducted according to NATO’s TACEVAL standards.

The Czech air unit, operating the multi-role JAS-39 Gripen C aircraft, underwent this procedure for the first time.

“The preparation of the task force is almost the same as in our previous missions; the task itself is no different from what we do in NATINAMDS at Čáslav,” says Lieutenant Colonel Vladimír Málek, the task force commander.

The Czech Republic will not only ensure the security of the airspace but also contribute to the safety of the North Atlantic and support the training of Icelandic personnel and the readiness of local infrastructure.