US flight squadron deployed to Iceland
A Bomber Task Force (BTF) from the US Air Force is set to deploy to Iceland today, Sunday August 13th. The BTF will conduct exercises with allied nations in Northern Europe, and will be operating out of Keflavik. The BTF includes three B-2 Spirit aircraft which are accompanied by some 200 airmen. This is the third time that a BTF of this type has deployed to Iceland.
The deployment of the BTF to Iceland is conducted on the basis of the 1951 Bilateral Defense Agreement between Iceland and the United States, and constitutes an important contribution to deterrence activities in Northern Europe. The BTF will be temporarily deployed to the Security Zone at Keflavik for the next few weeks. The Icelandic Coast Guard supports the deployment on behalf of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in close cooperation with Icelandic civil aviation authorities.