Four stealth fighter jets from RAF Marham sent to Iceland to help defend NATO airspace

Four stealth fighter jets from RAF Marham have been sent to Iceland to help defend NATO airspace in the Arctic region.

It is the first time that British F-35B jets will have conducted a NATO air policing mission.

The deployment of RAF Marham pilots from 617 Squadron is part of NATO’s permanent peacetime mission, that preserves the security of Allied skies. It is a collective task and involves the continuous presence of fighter aircraft and crews, which are ready to react quickly to possible airspace violations.

It comes as the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer underlined the UK’s cast iron commitment to NATO at its summit in Washington last month, as he emphasised his determination to safeguard the future of the Alliance and face down global threats to Britain and its western allies.

The cutting edge F-35 jets from 617 Squadron will be patrolling Icelandic airspace and it is the first time British jets have taken part in such activity in Iceland since 2019, when four Typhoon jets flew 59 training sorties and more than 180 practice intercepts.

The F-35 Lightning is held at high readiness to deploy in support of UK and NATO operations worldwide – from both land and sea.​ It is a multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and low observable stealth technology. This means that enemy radar systems cannot easily detect the aircraft, giving those nations operating the F-35 a significant tactical advantage in many operational scenarios.

Group Captain John Butcher, commander of the Lightning Force, said: “This will be the first time that the Lightning Force has deployed to contribute to NATO air policing, and will no doubt once again prove the flexibility that this platform offers as it demonstrates its capability to operate from both a land and maritime environment.”

Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With threats increasing and growing Russian aggression, it is vital that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies.

“This latest air policing mission in Iceland displays the UK’s ability to operate and deter our adversaries across the alliance’s airspace.”

Recently the RAF completed a successful four-month mission in Romania, where six Typhoon fighter jets and over two hundred personnel were stationed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, defending NATO’s eastern border.