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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0026.PDF
ARMSO The US military presence in Iceland is both a sensitive political issue and a sensitive social one. With 5,500 US personnel at Keflavik Naval Air Station, the Iceland Defence Force is keen to avoid any damaging impact on the daily life of the Icelanders. Strict rules are imposed to try to ensure this. For example, a night-time curfew is imposed on all unmarried enlisted men. Military personnel cannot live outside the base unless they are married to an Icelander. In 1949, Iceland became a founder member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). There was, however, a sharp division of opinion within the country as to whether the decision was wise. In May 1951, on Nato's advice, the Icelandic Government signed a defence agreement with the USA and invited the USA to estab lish a defence force on the island. A condi tion of the agreement was that the impact of the force must be limited, and should not adversely affect the daily life of the islanders. The force was initially operated under the jurisdiction of an Army brigadier reporting to the Supreme Allied Commander for Nato operations in the Atlantic, but after ten years Iceland is in a position of critical strategic importance in the North Atlantic, approximately halfway between Moscow and New York. Ships and submarines from the Soviet Northern Fleet's base at Murmansk pass close by en-route for the Atlantic Ocean, as do Soviet Bear H bombers and Bear F antisubmarine aircraft. Chris Drewer reports from the home of the Iceland Defence Force at US Naval Air Station Keflavik. control was transferred to the US Navy, where it remains. The agreement remained unchanged until 1974, when a memorandum of under standing was signed under which the Above E-3A Sentry aircraft fly with the 57th fighter interceptor squadron ICE numbers of personnel were reviewed and limited—up to 3,200 military personnel would be allowed, plus 2,400 family members. Liaison between the USA and Iceland is now carried out fortnightly by a joint Icelandic-US defence council, comprising six Icelanders representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and five US military officers. The ultimate point of contact is between the Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador. The co-ordination of all US military oper ations in Iceland is the responsibility of the unified headquarters of the Iceland Defence Force. The commanding officer, currently Rear Admiral Eric McVadon, holds three additional commands—Island Commander Iceland (a Nato command), Commander Fleet Air Keflavik (a US command), and Commander Iceland Sector Antisubmarine Warfare Group. The Iceland Defence Force Commander reports to the US Ambassador for his input into the joint defence council. The role of the Iceland Defence Force encompasses forward surveillance in the area around Iceland, as well as interim defence 24 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 7 January 1989
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