Naval Air Station Keflavik
Encyclopedia
United States Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport
, Iceland
. It is located on the Reykjanes
peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006 and its facilities taken over by the Icelandic Defence Agency and is now the IDA's primary base.
NAS Keflavik was the host command for the NATO Base in Iceland. The major commands stationed on the base were Naval Air Station Keflavik, the United States Air Force
's 85th Group
, Fleet Air Keflavik, the Iceland Defense Force
(NATO), NCTS Keflavik, and U.S. Naval Hospital Keflavik. There were more than 25 different commands of various sizes and personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corpss, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard in Iceland. Also present were representatives from Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark. One of the largest commands was Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik, which was responsible for providing all support facilities, including the runways, housing, supply and recreational facilities.
The primary mission of Naval Air Station Keflavik was to maintain and operate facilities and provide services and material to support operations of aviation activities and units of the operating forces of the Navy and other activities and units, as designated by the Chief of Naval Operations.
U.S. Navy use of the facility allowed the housing of rotational P-3 Orion
squadrons, aircraft, flight crews, maintenance and administrative support personnel from their CONUS home bases for six-month deployments in support of antisubmarine warfare and maritime patrol missions until 2004. As a NATO mission, the U.S. Navy P-3s were frequently augmented by U.S. Navy Reserve
P-3 squadrons and detachments of Canadian Forces
CP-140 Aurora
, Royal Netherlands Navy
P-3, German Navy
Breguet Atlantique
and Royal Air Force
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.
Army National Guard units and Interim Marine Security Forces
stormed the lava fields surrounding the base during training exercises such as Northern Viking
.
NAS Keflavik employed approximately 900 Icelandic civilians who worked with military personnel, providing the services necessary to operate the base. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the airfield was available for maritime patrol activities, air defense and for transiting aircraft between North America and Europe, in addition to supporting Iceland's international civilian aviation.
The NATO base did not have a Status of Forces Agreement
(SOFA) with the Icelandic Government and the base lacked the roadway entrance security gates characteristic of most military installations, having only Icelandic Customs officials instead. Icelandic nationals had unrestricted access to most of the base, only being barred from actual security-restricted military facilities such as aircraft parking areas, squadron and hangar facilities and classified operations centers. During the height of the Cold War, this access situation created definitive operational security (OPSEC) concerns by U.S. and NATO officials due to potential espionage activities by Soviet operatives masquerading as Icelandic nationals. In addition, during this same time period, the former Soviet Union constructed one of their largest embassy facilities in the nearby capital, Reykavik, which doubled as a diplomatic cover for intelligence collection activities against U.S. and NATO military forces. Access was restricted to authorized personnel after the construction of the new civilian passenger terminal on the opposite side of the airfield in the mid 1980s.
The base offered a wide variety of recreational services which included bowling, swimming, gymnasium, theater, social clubs, a Wendy's
restaurant, and hobby centers. Other services included a base exchange, commissary, bank, hospital, beauty shop, tour office and morale flights. Golfing was available in a nearby community.
The American base staff had their own names for various places in Iceland, e.g. "Kef" for Keflavík
and "Hurdygurdy" for Hveragerði
.
On 15 March 2006, the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland announced that the United States had decided to substantially reduce the size of the Iceland Defense Force.
During a six-month transition to reduce the military presence in Iceland, most facilities closed and most of the service members departed, leaving behind a core team of active duty and Reserve personnel to finish the job.
By mid-July 2006, many of the military spouses and part-time military active duty staff had transferred.
On 8 September 2006, NASKEF's last commanding officer
, CAPT Mark S. Laughton, presided over a ceremony effecting the disestablishment of the air station.
On October 26 the government of Iceland established the Keflavik Airport Development Corporation or Kadeco
which was given the task of converting the base into civilian use.
deployments.
In January 2010, Verne Holdings announced that it had received equity funding from the Wellcome Trust
to build a data center
at Keflavik. The data center will take advantage of the available geothermal power
and free cooling
to minimize its carbon footprint
.
After gaining independence from Denmark
in 1918 with the signing of the 25-year Danish-Icelandic Act of Union, Iceland followed a policy of strict neutrality. In 1939, with war imminent in Europe
, the German Reich
pressed for landing rights for Lufthansa
's aircraft for alleged trans-Atlantic flights. The Icelandic government turned them down.
A British request to establish bases in Iceland for the protection of the vital North Atlantic supply lines after German forces occupied Denmark and Norway
in April 1940 also was turned down in accordance with the neutrality policy. Nevertheless the British government felt that it could not do without bases in Iceland and on May 10, 1940 the people of Reykjavík
awoke to the sight of a British invasion force
. The government of Iceland protested the invasion but asked the populace to treat the occupying force as guests.
Following talks between British Prime Minister
Winston S. Churchill
and President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
of the United States, Iceland agreed to a tripartite treaty under which United States Marines
were to relieve the British garrison in Iceland on the condition that all military forces be withdrawn from Iceland immediately upon the conclusion of the war in Europe. In addition to their defense role, U.S. forces constructed the Keflavik Airport as a refueling point for aircraft deliveries and cargo flights to Europe.
With the end of the war in Europe, Keflavik Airport became a transit point for aircraft returning from the European Theater of Operations to the United States. With American air activities greatly reduced in Europe in the immediate postwar months, U.S. flying operations were similarly reduced in preparation for transfer of the base to the Icelandic government at the end of 1946. With all noncritical surplus equipment and supplies disposed of, all U.S. air activity ended at the airfield on 11 March 1947.
Another agreement signed between the United States and Iceland in 1946 permitted continued use of the base by the United States. The United States provided all the maintenance and operation of the airport through an American civilian contractor. American Overseas Airlines, followed by Airport Overseas Corporation personnel, operated the military portion of Keflavik Airport after its reversion to Icelandic control at the end of March 1947.
Iceland's charter membership in NATO in 1949 required neither the establishment of an Icelandic armed force, nor the stationing of foreign troops in the country during peacetime. However with the developing Cold War
with the Soviet Union, and world tensions increasing, Iceland's leaders reconsidered. Icelandic officials decided that membership in the NATO alliance was not a sufficient defense and, at the request of NATO, entered into a defense agreement with the United States. This was the beginning of the Iceland Defense Force. Over the next four decades, the Defense Force was "at the front" of the Cold War and was credited with playing a significant role in deterrence.
On 25 May 1951 the U.S. Air Force reestablished a presence at Keflavik Airport with the establishment of the 1400th Air Base Group. Jurisdiction of the airport was assumed by Military Air Transport Service
(MATS). MATS re-established a military air terminal and refueling point for trans-Atlantic air service between the United States and Europe at Keflavik. MATS (later MAC and Air Mobility Command) units remained at the airport until the withdrawal of United States military units from Iceland in 2006.
During 1947–51, while the base was operated by a US civilian contractor company most of the World War II temporary structures were left empty and became badly deteriorated. The airfield complex, one of the largest in the world during the war, also required upgrading to accommodate modern aircraft. The contractor had extended one runway, constructed a new passenger terminal and hotel building, one aircraft hangar, a hospital, housing units and other facilities for the staff. But this was insufficient for the new Defense Force, so additional facilities had to be provided quickly. A crash reconstruction program was initiated and temporary housing was erected during the construction of permanent housing. The airfield was extended and two new aircraft hangars were constructed. Most of this work was completed by 1957.
Soon after the return of US forces to Keflavik. Air Defense Command established a temporary radar station at the airport, equipped with World War II-era AN/TPS-1 and AN/TPS-3A radars that operated until a permanent radar station could be constructed at nearby Rockville AS.
Between 1952 and 2006, Air Forces Iceland provided air defense for Iceland, operated Keflavik Airport, and furnished base support for all U.S. military forces in Iceland participating in its defense under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Also Air Force component of NATO Iceland Defense Force
.
Air Defense Command (ADC), later renamed Aerospace Defense Command used the facility for air surveillance of Iceland and the North Atlantic, employing F-102 Delta Dagger
and then F-4C Phantom II fighters as interceptors. Over 1,000 intercepts of Soviet aircraft took place inside Iceland's Military Air Defense Identification Zone
(ADIZ).
The United States Navy
assumed the responsibility of running the air station from the USAF Military Air Transport Service in 1961.
On 1 October 1979 Tactical Air Command
(TAC) absorbed ADC's assets, and the F-4E Phantom II
aircraft of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (57 FIS). In July 1985, F-15Cs
and F-15Ds replaced the aging F-4s, and the tail code "IS" was assigned to Air Forces Iceland (AFI).
During the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, Keflavik also hosted rotational E-3 Sentry
AWACS aircraft and KC-135 Stratotanker
aircraft from CONUS
to support the air defense mission and rotational HC-130
Hercules aircraft from RAF Woodbridge
from the 67 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (ARRS) to support their detachment of Keflavik-based HH-3 Jolly Green Giant
and later HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters in their search and rescue mission.
Beginning in 1984, the 932d Air Control Squadron
established a Radar Operations Control Center at Keflavik which coordinated the 57th FIS interceptors to contacts passing though the GIUK gap
. It received long-range radar inputs from 5 radar sites: the four sites in Iceland plus a data-tie from the Thorshavn AS radar in the Faeroe Islands. Thorshavn was located atop Mount Sornfelli. The ROCC remained active until the turnover of the facility in 2006.
Air Forces Iceland continued the air defense mission of Iceland as a tenant organization at Keflavik. Under Air Defense Command until 1979 and under Tactical Air Command
until 1992. On 1 June 1992, Air Combat Command
(ACC) assumed command and control of AFI and the 57 FIS. Less than a year later, the 57 FIS was redesignated as the 57 Fighter Squadron (57 FS) and reassigned to the 35th Fighter Wing
(35 WG) that was transferred from the closing George AFB, California
.
On 1 October 1994, the 35th Wing was inactivated at Keflavik and reactivated that same day at Misawa Air Base
in Misawa
, Japan
as the 35th Fighter Wing, where it currently operates. The 35th Wing was replaced by the newly-activated 85th Wing. On 1 March 1995, the 57th FS was deactivated and the interceptor force was replaced by Regular Air Force and Air National Guard
F-15 Eagle
fighter aircraft rotating every 90 days to Iceland until the USAF deactivated the 85th Group in 2002. United States Air Forces in Europe
(USAFE) took over ACC responsibilities at Keflavik on October 1, 2002 as part of a larger restructuring of the unified commands.
The 85th was reduced to a Group level and supported rotational deployments. The 85th Group continued to support rotational deployments until it was inactivated during a one-hour, formal ceremony on 28 June 2006, as a result of the Air Force reduction in forces in Iceland. All rotational fighters left and the 56th Rescue Squadron
ceased operation at the end of the fiscal year.
.* United States Air Forces units changed from host to tenant status on 1 Jul 1961, when the U.S.
Navy gained jurisdiction; the installation was renamed U.S. Naval Station Keftavik; Keftavik Airport became one of its tenants.
Returned to control of Icelandic Government on 7 Apr 1947; returned to joint Icelandic-USAF control, 23 May 1951.
.*After 1 Jul 1961, the USAF MAJCOMs operated in a tenant status only.
.* Rotational TDY flights of aircraft from various squadrons of 52d Operations Group
, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
.** Rotational TDY flights of aircraft from 48th Operations Group
, RAF Lakenheath
, United Kingdom
Keflavík International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Ground transport:Transport between the airport and Reykjavik city is by road only. The distance is 50 km. A new fast freeway was opened 2008. The buses have a timetable adapted to the flight schedule. They go to and from the Reykjavik bus terminal, taking around 45 minutes...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. It is located on the Reykjanes
Reykjanes
Reykjanes or Reykjanesskagi is a peninsula and a volcanic system situated at the south-western end of Iceland, near the capital of Reykjavík....
peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006 and its facilities taken over by the Icelandic Defence Agency and is now the IDA's primary base.
Overview
NASKEF was the host Command for NATO in Iceland.NAS Keflavik was the host command for the NATO Base in Iceland. The major commands stationed on the base were Naval Air Station Keflavik, the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 85th Group
85th Group
The 85th Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Third Air Force, being stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on 28 June 2006....
, Fleet Air Keflavik, the Iceland Defense Force
Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...
(NATO), NCTS Keflavik, and U.S. Naval Hospital Keflavik. There were more than 25 different commands of various sizes and personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corpss, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard in Iceland. Also present were representatives from Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark. One of the largest commands was Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik, which was responsible for providing all support facilities, including the runways, housing, supply and recreational facilities.
The primary mission of Naval Air Station Keflavik was to maintain and operate facilities and provide services and material to support operations of aviation activities and units of the operating forces of the Navy and other activities and units, as designated by the Chief of Naval Operations.
U.S. Navy use of the facility allowed the housing of rotational P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
squadrons, aircraft, flight crews, maintenance and administrative support personnel from their CONUS home bases for six-month deployments in support of antisubmarine warfare and maritime patrol missions until 2004. As a NATO mission, the U.S. Navy P-3s were frequently augmented by U.S. Navy Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
P-3 squadrons and detachments of Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
CP-140 Aurora
CP-140 Aurora
The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the S-3 Viking...
, Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
P-3, German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
Breguet Atlantique
Breguet Atlantique
The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, primarily designed for use over the sea. It is used in several NATO countries as a reconnaissance and patrol aircraft as well as anti-submarine aircraft. The Atlantic is also capable of carrying air-to-ground missiles...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.
Army National Guard units and Interim Marine Security Forces
Marine Corps Security Force Battalion
The Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is a dedicated security and anti-/counter-terrorism unit of the United States Marine Corps. It provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and weapons. It also provides Fleet Antiterrorism...
stormed the lava fields surrounding the base during training exercises such as Northern Viking
Northern Viking
Northern Viking is an annual NATO exercise held in Iceland. The exercises were held biannually until 2006 when the frequency was increased.The purpose of the exercise is to test the capabilities of Iceland and her NATO allies, as well as increase the readiness of the forces involved and their...
.
NAS Keflavik employed approximately 900 Icelandic civilians who worked with military personnel, providing the services necessary to operate the base. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the airfield was available for maritime patrol activities, air defense and for transiting aircraft between North America and Europe, in addition to supporting Iceland's international civilian aviation.
The NATO base did not have a Status of Forces Agreement
Status of Forces Agreement
A status of forces agreement is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security arrangement...
(SOFA) with the Icelandic Government and the base lacked the roadway entrance security gates characteristic of most military installations, having only Icelandic Customs officials instead. Icelandic nationals had unrestricted access to most of the base, only being barred from actual security-restricted military facilities such as aircraft parking areas, squadron and hangar facilities and classified operations centers. During the height of the Cold War, this access situation created definitive operational security (OPSEC) concerns by U.S. and NATO officials due to potential espionage activities by Soviet operatives masquerading as Icelandic nationals. In addition, during this same time period, the former Soviet Union constructed one of their largest embassy facilities in the nearby capital, Reykavik, which doubled as a diplomatic cover for intelligence collection activities against U.S. and NATO military forces. Access was restricted to authorized personnel after the construction of the new civilian passenger terminal on the opposite side of the airfield in the mid 1980s.
The base offered a wide variety of recreational services which included bowling, swimming, gymnasium, theater, social clubs, a Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
restaurant, and hobby centers. Other services included a base exchange, commissary, bank, hospital, beauty shop, tour office and morale flights. Golfing was available in a nearby community.
The American base staff had their own names for various places in Iceland, e.g. "Kef" for Keflavík
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
and "Hurdygurdy" for Hveragerði
Hveragerði
Hveragerði is a town and municipality in the south of Iceland located 45 km to the east of Reykjavík on Iceland's main ringroad, Route 1.The river Varmá runs through the town. The population was 2,316 on 1 January 2011.-Overview:...
.
Deactivation
During a six-month transition to reduce the military presence in Iceland, most facilities closed and most of the service members departed, leaving behind a core team of active duty and Reserve personnel to finish the job.
By mid-July 2006, many of the military spouses and part-time military active duty staff had transferred.
On 8 September 2006, NASKEF's last commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, CAPT Mark S. Laughton, presided over a ceremony effecting the disestablishment of the air station.
On October 26 the government of Iceland established the Keflavik Airport Development Corporation or Kadeco
Kadeco
Keflavik Airport Development Corporation or Kadeco was founded by the Icelandic government on 24 October 2006. The catalyst of the foundation was the deactivation of the Naval Air Station Keflavik which had been operated by the United States for the previous 60 years...
which was given the task of converting the base into civilian use.
Current uses
Since May 2008 Keflavik has periodically hosted NATO fighter, AWACS and support aircraft participating in Icelandic Air PolicingIcelandic Air Policing
Icelandic Air Policing is a NATO operation conducted to patrol Iceland's airspace. As Iceland does not have an air force, it requested that its NATO allies periodically deploy fighter aircraft to Keflavik Air Base to provide protection of its airspace in 2006...
deployments.
In January 2010, Verne Holdings announced that it had received equity funding from the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
to build a data center
Data center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
at Keflavik. The data center will take advantage of the available geothermal power
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
and free cooling
Free cooling
Free cooling is an economical method of using low external air temperatures to assist in chilling water, which can then be used for industrial process, or air conditioning systems in green data centers....
to minimize its carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
.
World War II
- Main article: Iceland Base CommandIceland Base CommandThe Icelandic Base Command is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Danish Colony of Iceland during World War II...
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1918 with the signing of the 25-year Danish-Icelandic Act of Union, Iceland followed a policy of strict neutrality. In 1939, with war imminent in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the German Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
pressed for landing rights for Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
's aircraft for alleged trans-Atlantic flights. The Icelandic government turned them down.
A British request to establish bases in Iceland for the protection of the vital North Atlantic supply lines after German forces occupied Denmark and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in April 1940 also was turned down in accordance with the neutrality policy. Nevertheless the British government felt that it could not do without bases in Iceland and on May 10, 1940 the people of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
awoke to the sight of a British invasion force
Invasion of Iceland
The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II....
. The government of Iceland protested the invasion but asked the populace to treat the occupying force as guests.
Following talks between British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Winston S. Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
of the United States, Iceland agreed to a tripartite treaty under which United States Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
were to relieve the British garrison in Iceland on the condition that all military forces be withdrawn from Iceland immediately upon the conclusion of the war in Europe. In addition to their defense role, U.S. forces constructed the Keflavik Airport as a refueling point for aircraft deliveries and cargo flights to Europe.
With the end of the war in Europe, Keflavik Airport became a transit point for aircraft returning from the European Theater of Operations to the United States. With American air activities greatly reduced in Europe in the immediate postwar months, U.S. flying operations were similarly reduced in preparation for transfer of the base to the Icelandic government at the end of 1946. With all noncritical surplus equipment and supplies disposed of, all U.S. air activity ended at the airfield on 11 March 1947.
United States Air Force use
- See also: 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron57th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also known as "The Black Knights of Keflavik", is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The 57 FIS was last stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on 1 March, 1995.-World War II:...
; Air Forces Iceland
Iceland's charter membership in NATO in 1949 required neither the establishment of an Icelandic armed force, nor the stationing of foreign troops in the country during peacetime. However with the developing Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
with the Soviet Union, and world tensions increasing, Iceland's leaders reconsidered. Icelandic officials decided that membership in the NATO alliance was not a sufficient defense and, at the request of NATO, entered into a defense agreement with the United States. This was the beginning of the Iceland Defense Force. Over the next four decades, the Defense Force was "at the front" of the Cold War and was credited with playing a significant role in deterrence.
On 25 May 1951 the U.S. Air Force reestablished a presence at Keflavik Airport with the establishment of the 1400th Air Base Group. Jurisdiction of the airport was assumed by Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(MATS). MATS re-established a military air terminal and refueling point for trans-Atlantic air service between the United States and Europe at Keflavik. MATS (later MAC and Air Mobility Command) units remained at the airport until the withdrawal of United States military units from Iceland in 2006.
During 1947–51, while the base was operated by a US civilian contractor company most of the World War II temporary structures were left empty and became badly deteriorated. The airfield complex, one of the largest in the world during the war, also required upgrading to accommodate modern aircraft. The contractor had extended one runway, constructed a new passenger terminal and hotel building, one aircraft hangar, a hospital, housing units and other facilities for the staff. But this was insufficient for the new Defense Force, so additional facilities had to be provided quickly. A crash reconstruction program was initiated and temporary housing was erected during the construction of permanent housing. The airfield was extended and two new aircraft hangars were constructed. Most of this work was completed by 1957.
Soon after the return of US forces to Keflavik. Air Defense Command established a temporary radar station at the airport, equipped with World War II-era AN/TPS-1 and AN/TPS-3A radars that operated until a permanent radar station could be constructed at nearby Rockville AS.
Between 1952 and 2006, Air Forces Iceland provided air defense for Iceland, operated Keflavik Airport, and furnished base support for all U.S. military forces in Iceland participating in its defense under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Also Air Force component of NATO Iceland Defense Force
Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...
.
Air Defense Command (ADC), later renamed Aerospace Defense Command used the facility for air surveillance of Iceland and the North Atlantic, employing F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
and then F-4C Phantom II fighters as interceptors. Over 1,000 intercepts of Soviet aircraft took place inside Iceland's Military Air Defense Identification Zone
Air Defense Identification Zone
An Air Defense Identification Zone has existed since February 10, 2003, around the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area to restrict air traffic near Washington, D.C....
(ADIZ).
The United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
assumed the responsibility of running the air station from the USAF Military Air Transport Service in 1961.
On 1 October 1979 Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) absorbed ADC's assets, and the F-4E Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
aircraft of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (57 FIS). In July 1985, F-15Cs
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
and F-15Ds replaced the aging F-4s, and the tail code "IS" was assigned to Air Forces Iceland (AFI).
During the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, Keflavik also hosted rotational E-3 Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
AWACS aircraft and KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
aircraft from CONUS
Conus
Conus is a large genus of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs, with the common names of cone snails, cone shells or cones. This genus is placed in the subfamily Coninae within the family Conidae. Geologically speaking, the genus is known from the Eocene to the Recent ...
to support the air defense mission and rotational HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
Hercules aircraft from RAF Woodbridge
RAF Woodbridge
Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, more commonly referred to as RAF Woodbridge, is a former Royal Air Force military airbase situated to the east of Woodbridge in the county of Suffolk, England...
from the 67 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (ARRS) to support their detachment of Keflavik-based HH-3 Jolly Green Giant
Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R...
and later HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters in their search and rescue mission.
Beginning in 1984, the 932d Air Control Squadron
932d Air Control Squadron
The 932d Air Control Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 85th Group, Third Air Force, stationed at Keflavik Air Station, Iceland...
established a Radar Operations Control Center at Keflavik which coordinated the 57th FIS interceptors to contacts passing though the GIUK gap
GIUK gap
The GIUK gap is an area in the northern Atlantic Ocean that forms a naval warfare chokepoint. Its name is an acronym for Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, the gap being the open ocean between these three landmasses...
. It received long-range radar inputs from 5 radar sites: the four sites in Iceland plus a data-tie from the Thorshavn AS radar in the Faeroe Islands. Thorshavn was located atop Mount Sornfelli. The ROCC remained active until the turnover of the facility in 2006.
Air Forces Iceland continued the air defense mission of Iceland as a tenant organization at Keflavik. Under Air Defense Command until 1979 and under Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
until 1992. On 1 June 1992, Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC) assumed command and control of AFI and the 57 FIS. Less than a year later, the 57 FIS was redesignated as the 57 Fighter Squadron (57 FS) and reassigned to the 35th Fighter Wing
35th Fighter Wing
The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The 35 FW is part of Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force.-Mission:...
(35 WG) that was transferred from the closing George AFB, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
On 1 October 1994, the 35th Wing was inactivated at Keflavik and reactivated that same day at Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base
right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
in Misawa
Misawa
-Surname:* Mitsuharu Misawa, professional wrestler also known by the given name of Mitsuhara* Bastion Misawa, a fictional character also known by the given name Daichi-Places:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as the 35th Fighter Wing, where it currently operates. The 35th Wing was replaced by the newly-activated 85th Wing. On 1 March 1995, the 57th FS was deactivated and the interceptor force was replaced by Regular Air Force and Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighter aircraft rotating every 90 days to Iceland until the USAF deactivated the 85th Group in 2002. United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
(USAFE) took over ACC responsibilities at Keflavik on October 1, 2002 as part of a larger restructuring of the unified commands.
The 85th was reduced to a Group level and supported rotational deployments. The 85th Group continued to support rotational deployments until it was inactivated during a one-hour, formal ceremony on 28 June 2006, as a result of the Air Force reduction in forces in Iceland. All rotational fighters left and the 56th Rescue Squadron
56th Rescue Squadron
The 56th Rescue Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
ceased operation at the end of the fiscal year.
Station names
- Reykjavik Administrative Area, 6 August 1941
- Meeks Field, 1 July 1942
- Keflavik Airport*, 25 October 1946-28 June 2006
- Under United States Navy Jurisdiction, 1 July 1961-28 June 2006
.* United States Air Forces units changed from host to tenant status on 1 Jul 1961, when the U.S.
Navy gained jurisdiction; the installation was renamed U.S. Naval Station Keftavik; Keftavik Airport became one of its tenants.
Major USAF Commands
- Iceland Base CommandIceland Base CommandThe Icelandic Base Command is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Danish Colony of Iceland during World War II...
, United States Army, February 1942 - European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA), 10 June 1942
- Eastern Defense CommandEastern Defense CommandEastern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Atlantic Coast region of the United States. EDC replaced the existing Northeast Defense Command. A second major responsibility of EDC was the training...
, United States Army, 30 July 1944 - Air Transport CommandAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
, 1 January 1946 – 7 April 1947
Returned to control of Icelandic Government on 7 Apr 1947; returned to joint Icelandic-USAF control, 23 May 1951.
- Joint Task Force #109, 7 May 1951
- Iceland Defense ForceIceland Defense ForceThe Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...
, 6 July 1951 - Military Air Transport ServiceMilitary Air Transport ServiceThe Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
*, 1 September 1951 - Air Defense Command, 1 July 1962
- Re-designated Aerospace Defense CommandAerospace Defense CommandAerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
, 15 January 1968- Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979
- Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
, 1 June 1992 - United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 1 October 1992– 28 June 2006
.*After 1 Jul 1961, the USAF MAJCOMs operated in a tenant status only.
Major USAF units assigned
- 14th Detachment, North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport CommandAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
(ATC Station #14), 28 August 1943–1 August 1944 - Iceland Base CommandIceland Base CommandThe Icelandic Base Command is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Danish Colony of Iceland during World War II...
, 16 June 1942–24 March 1947 - 342d Composite Group, 11 September 1942 – 18 March 1944
- 386th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 August 1944 – 18 February 1946
- 1400th Air Base Group, 23 May 1951 – 1 July 1960
- 932d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (ADC), 1 October 1952 – 1 August 1957
- 192d Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 September 1952–1 December 1952 (F-51D/H)
- 435th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 December 1952 – 27 March 1953 (F-51D/H)
- 436th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 December 1952 – 2 December 1953 (F-51D/H)
- 53d Air Rescue Squadron, 14 November 1952-24 March 1960
- 82d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 April 1953 – 22 October 1954 (F-94B)
- 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron57th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also known as "The Black Knights of Keflavik", is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The 57 FIS was last stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on 1 March, 1995.-World War II:...
*, 12 November 1954–1 March 1995
- Iceland Air Defense Force, 1 April 1952
- Re-designated Air Forces Iceland, 1 January 1960
- Re-designated 85th Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 July 1985-31 May 1993
- Re-designated 85th Wing, 29 September 1994
- Re-designated 85th Group, 1 July 1995-28 June 2006.
- 667th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 8 August 1956-16 April 1957
- 934th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 8 September 1956-30 May 1957
- 35th Wing35th Fighter WingThe 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The 35 FW is part of Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force.-Mission:...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 October 2002, F-15C/D Eagle - 56th Rescue Squadron56th Rescue SquadronThe 56th Rescue Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
: 1 July 1995 – 28 June 2006 - 86th Airlift Wing86th Airlift WingThe 86th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force wing, currently assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany-Mission:...
*, 1 October 2002 – 8 October 2004, F-15C/D Eagle - 48th Fighter Wing48th Fighter WingThe 48th Fighter Wing is part of the United States Air Force Third Air Force, assigned to HQ Air Command Europe, and is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F-15 wing based in Europe...
**, 8 October 2004 – 28 June 2006, F-15C/D Eagle
.* Rotational TDY flights of aircraft from various squadrons of 52d Operations Group
52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Overview:...
, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
.** Rotational TDY flights of aircraft from 48th Operations Group
48th Operations Group
The 48th Operations Group is the flying component of the 48th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group is stationed at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Assigned Units:...
, RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...
, United Kingdom
See also
- Keflavík Naval Communications CenterKeflavík Naval Communications CenterKeflavík Naval Communications Center is a facility for communication to submarines near Hafnir on Iceland. Keflavík Naval Communications Center uses two guyed masts with umbrella antennas situated at 63°51'3"N 22°27'6"W and at 63°51'1"N 22°28'0"W and transmits coded RTTY-messages on LF...
External links
- Archived NAS Keflavik website provided by the Internet Archive
- Reports on the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2006: http://www.bjorn.is/pistlar/nr/3489 http://www.bjorn.is/greinar/nr/3486 http://www3.utanrikisraduneyti.is/frettaefni/frettatilkynningar/nr/2999 (in IcelandicIcelandic languageIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
) - Establishing the Iceland Base Command a chapter in Guarding the United States and its Outposts a publication of the United States Army Center of Military History
- Keflavik Personal Website
- Map of the former site of the base on OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...