Iceland, as you may or may not know, is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Its geographic location makes it a prime outpost for air and maritime operations. Crucially, Iceland serves as a NATO outpost in the North Atlantic. US and NATO forces, having left Iceland in 2006, are now returning to the island on a rotational basis to enhance the monitoring of air and sea activity around the island. […]
A network of NATO and Icelandic assets – including Boeing P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, coast guard vessels, helicopters and radars – monitor Russian aerial and submarine activity in the region. In case you weren’t aware, Iceland is the only NATO member state that does not have its own military forces.
That hasn’t stopped Iceland contributing a great deal to the effectiveness of NATO. […]
People have long called Iceland a reluctant member of NATO due to the somewhat troubled relationship the country once had with the organisation but I don’t think that holds true today.
Katrin Jakobsdottir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, would appear to agree. The Icelandic PM recently told the euobserver news website:
“We – as the Left-Green party – recognise that there is a strong majority in Iceland in support of Nato membership, but we don’t favour the idea of a permanent military presence here in Iceland.” Läs artikel