Sweden Deploys JAS 39 Gripen Multirole Fighter Jets to Lead NATO Icelandic Air Policing Mission
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NATO Allied Air Command confirmed that Sweden will lead NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission from Keflavík Air Base using JAS 39 Gripen fighters. The move marks Sweden’s first time commanding a NATO air policing rotation as an Ally, extending its defense role into one of the Alliance’s most strategically sensitive regions.
On 20 January 2026, NATO Allied Air Command confirmed that Sweden will, for the first time since joining the Alliance, assume responsibility for NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. Beginning in February 2026, the Swedish Air Force will deploy JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Keflavík Air Base, where Sweden will lead air policing operations over Iceland. This deployment represents Sweden’s first leadership role in a NATO Air Policing mission and reflects its growing operational integration into the Alliance following its accession in March 2024. NATO Allied Air Command underlined that the Icelandic Air Policing mission provides Iceland’s peacetime air surveillance and interception requirements, as the country has no standing fighter force of its own.
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Sweden will deploy JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighters to Keflavík Air Base to lead NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission for the first time, marking a further step in its post-accession integration and supporting NATO’s peacetime air surveillance over the strategically important GIUK gap (Picture Source: NATO Allied Air Command)
The Swedish contribution will consist of a Gripen fighter unit supported by ground personnel from the Skaraborg Air Flotilla, deployed to Keflavík Air Base under NATO command. Through this deployment, Sweden will conduct NATO air policing tasks in accordance with established Alliance procedures, marking a further step in its operational integration following accession to NATO. The mission builds on experience gained during Sweden’s participation in NATO air operations in Poland in 2025, which served as an initial test of interoperability, command integration, and procedural alignment with Allied air forces. Reflecting on that experience, Major General Jonas Wikman, Chief of the Swedish Air Force, noted that the Poland deployment demonstrated Sweden’s ability to operate under NATO leadership and to contribute effectively to the readiness and protection of Allied airspace, an assessment that underpins Sweden’s selection to lead the Icelandic Air Policing rotation.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen that Sweden is expected to deploy is a single-engine, multirole fighter optimised for northern European conditions, combining a delta-canard airframe with a modern radar and mission system. The Gripen C/D variant in Swedish service can carry around 6.5 tonnes of external stores on multiple hardpoints, in addition to an internal 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon used for visual-range engagements and warning shots in air policing scenarios. For the Icelandic Air Policing mission, a typical loadout would pair beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM or the ramjet-powered MBDA Meteor with short-range missiles like IRIS-T or AIM-9, supported by external fuel tanks to maximise time on station.
The aircraft’s PS-05/A radar (and, on later versions, an AESA sensor), secure datalinks and sensor-fusion architecture allow it to detect, track and engage multiple air targets while operating as part of a wider NATO air surveillance network. Although primarily configured for air-to-air duty in this mission, Gripen retains the ability to employ precision-guided bombs and anti-ship missiles such as the RBS-15, giving NATO commanders flexibility should the security situation in the North Atlantic require a rapid shift from routine policing to broader deterrence or defence tasks.
From a tactical perspective, deploying Gripens to Keflavík provides NATO with a responsive and resilient QRA capability in a demanding environment. Iceland sits at the hinge between the Arctic and the North Atlantic, with long overwater approaches, harsh weather and limited diversion options. The Gripen’s short take-off and landing performance and design heritage in Sweden’s “Bas 90” concept give it the ability to operate from relatively short or austere runways, which increases the Alliance’s options for dispersed operations and resilience should main infrastructure be threatened. Integrated into NATO’s Air Policing system, the Swedish detachment will contribute to continuous radar coverage, identification of unknown tracks, and rapid interception of aircraft that fail to file flight plans, lose radio contact or approach Alliance airspace in a non-compliant manner. Operating under the control of the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem and supported when required by NATO E-3 AWACS, the Gripens will form part of a layered detection and interception chain that has already proved effective against a variety of military and civilian incidents over the North Atlantic.
The mission underlines how rapidly Sweden has moved from long-standing military non-alignment to active burden-sharing within NATO’s integrated air and missile defence architecture. Since accession in March 2024, Stockholm has committed to meeting the Alliance’s 2% of GDP defence investment guideline by 2026, announced fighter deployments to Poland for enhanced Air Policing, and pledged naval and airborne surveillance assets to reinforce maritime security in the Baltic Sea. Assuming responsibility for Icelandic Air Policing is therefore both a logical continuation of this trajectory and a tangible demonstration to Allies that Sweden is prepared to take on demanding frontline tasks.
Within the broader NATO force posture, Swedish air assets in Iceland create a direct operational link between the Baltic–Nordic region, where Sweden and Finland bring substantial capabilities, and the transatlantic reinforcement routes that would be vital in any major crisis with Russia. The mission also provides the Swedish Air Force with practical experience in operating under NATO’s standing peacetime mission construct, working within Allied command structures and rules of engagement, and coordinating with other air policing detachments that rotate through Iceland.
The geostrategic context in the North further increases the significance of this deployment. Russia’s Northern Fleet, with its ballistic-missile submarines and surface combatants, remains the core of Moscow’s maritime nuclear deterrent and is protected by a “bastion” concept in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. In recent years, Russian long-range aviation and reconnaissance flights over the Barents and Norwegian Seas have continued, and NATO air policing missions around the North Atlantic and Baltic have repeatedly intercepted Russian aircraft that flew without flight plans or transponders, including an IL-20 over the Baltic Sea in 2025. The pattern of airspace violations around the Baltic region, such as the serious incursion into Estonian airspace by MiG-31 fighters that triggered Article 4 consultations in 2025, has reinforced Allied concerns about escalation risks and reinforced the need for robust air surveillance and rapid interception capacity along the Alliance’s northern and eastern flanks.
Parallel debates in Denmark and Greenland about increased Arctic surveillance, and the recent reinforcement of Arctic defence budgets, underline a shared Allied assessment that Russian activity in the High North is likely to rise. Seen in this light, Swedish Gripens at Keflavík are not simply an additional rotation in a long-standing mission, but a reinforcement of NATO’s ability to monitor and respond to Russian air and maritime movements at a key junction of the transatlantic security architecture.
Sweden’s decision to lead Icelandic Air Policing with JAS 39 Gripen fighters signals that the Alliance’s newest member is prepared to assume immediate operational responsibility on one of NATO’s most exposed frontiers, while adding a modern and flexible fighter capability to the collective defence of the High North. By integrating Swedish air power into the standing mission over Iceland, NATO tightens the link between Baltic–Nordic defence, North Atlantic reinforcement routes and Arctic security, all under a single, coherent operational framework. For NATO staffs, this deployment offers both a concrete enhancement of air policing capacity and an opportunity to deepen interoperability with the Swedish Air Force in a challenging theatre where Russian activities will continue to test Allied vigilance and resolve.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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NATO Allied Air Command confirmed that Sweden will lead NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission from Keflavík Air Base using JAS 39 Gripen fighters. The move marks Sweden’s first time commanding a NATO air policing rotation as an Ally, extending its defense role into one of the Alliance’s most strategically sensitive regions.
On 20 January 2026, NATO Allied Air Command confirmed that Sweden will, for the first time since joining the Alliance, assume responsibility for NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. Beginning in February 2026, the Swedish Air Force will deploy JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Keflavík Air Base, where Sweden will lead air policing operations over Iceland. This deployment represents Sweden’s first leadership role in a NATO Air Policing mission and reflects its growing operational integration into the Alliance following its accession in March 2024. NATO Allied Air Command underlined that the Icelandic Air Policing mission provides Iceland’s peacetime air surveillance and interception requirements, as the country has no standing fighter force of its own.
Sweden will deploy JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighters to Keflavík Air Base to lead NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission for the first time, marking a further step in its post-accession integration and supporting NATO’s peacetime air surveillance over the strategically important GIUK gap (Picture Source: NATO Allied Air Command)
The Swedish contribution will consist of a Gripen fighter unit supported by ground personnel from the Skaraborg Air Flotilla, deployed to Keflavík Air Base under NATO command. Through this deployment, Sweden will conduct NATO air policing tasks in accordance with established Alliance procedures, marking a further step in its operational integration following accession to NATO. The mission builds on experience gained during Sweden’s participation in NATO air operations in Poland in 2025, which served as an initial test of interoperability, command integration, and procedural alignment with Allied air forces. Reflecting on that experience, Major General Jonas Wikman, Chief of the Swedish Air Force, noted that the Poland deployment demonstrated Sweden’s ability to operate under NATO leadership and to contribute effectively to the readiness and protection of Allied airspace, an assessment that underpins Sweden’s selection to lead the Icelandic Air Policing rotation.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen that Sweden is expected to deploy is a single-engine, multirole fighter optimised for northern European conditions, combining a delta-canard airframe with a modern radar and mission system. The Gripen C/D variant in Swedish service can carry around 6.5 tonnes of external stores on multiple hardpoints, in addition to an internal 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon used for visual-range engagements and warning shots in air policing scenarios. For the Icelandic Air Policing mission, a typical loadout would pair beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM or the ramjet-powered MBDA Meteor with short-range missiles like IRIS-T or AIM-9, supported by external fuel tanks to maximise time on station.
The aircraft’s PS-05/A radar (and, on later versions, an AESA sensor), secure datalinks and sensor-fusion architecture allow it to detect, track and engage multiple air targets while operating as part of a wider NATO air surveillance network. Although primarily configured for air-to-air duty in this mission, Gripen retains the ability to employ precision-guided bombs and anti-ship missiles such as the RBS-15, giving NATO commanders flexibility should the security situation in the North Atlantic require a rapid shift from routine policing to broader deterrence or defence tasks.
From a tactical perspective, deploying Gripens to Keflavík provides NATO with a responsive and resilient QRA capability in a demanding environment. Iceland sits at the hinge between the Arctic and the North Atlantic, with long overwater approaches, harsh weather and limited diversion options. The Gripen’s short take-off and landing performance and design heritage in Sweden’s “Bas 90” concept give it the ability to operate from relatively short or austere runways, which increases the Alliance’s options for dispersed operations and resilience should main infrastructure be threatened. Integrated into NATO’s Air Policing system, the Swedish detachment will contribute to continuous radar coverage, identification of unknown tracks, and rapid interception of aircraft that fail to file flight plans, lose radio contact or approach Alliance airspace in a non-compliant manner. Operating under the control of the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem and supported when required by NATO E-3 AWACS, the Gripens will form part of a layered detection and interception chain that has already proved effective against a variety of military and civilian incidents over the North Atlantic.
The mission underlines how rapidly Sweden has moved from long-standing military non-alignment to active burden-sharing within NATO’s integrated air and missile defence architecture. Since accession in March 2024, Stockholm has committed to meeting the Alliance’s 2% of GDP defence investment guideline by 2026, announced fighter deployments to Poland for enhanced Air Policing, and pledged naval and airborne surveillance assets to reinforce maritime security in the Baltic Sea. Assuming responsibility for Icelandic Air Policing is therefore both a logical continuation of this trajectory and a tangible demonstration to Allies that Sweden is prepared to take on demanding frontline tasks.
Within the broader NATO force posture, Swedish air assets in Iceland create a direct operational link between the Baltic–Nordic region, where Sweden and Finland bring substantial capabilities, and the transatlantic reinforcement routes that would be vital in any major crisis with Russia. The mission also provides the Swedish Air Force with practical experience in operating under NATO’s standing peacetime mission construct, working within Allied command structures and rules of engagement, and coordinating with other air policing detachments that rotate through Iceland.
The geostrategic context in the North further increases the significance of this deployment. Russia’s Northern Fleet, with its ballistic-missile submarines and surface combatants, remains the core of Moscow’s maritime nuclear deterrent and is protected by a “bastion” concept in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. In recent years, Russian long-range aviation and reconnaissance flights over the Barents and Norwegian Seas have continued, and NATO air policing missions around the North Atlantic and Baltic have repeatedly intercepted Russian aircraft that flew without flight plans or transponders, including an IL-20 over the Baltic Sea in 2025. The pattern of airspace violations around the Baltic region, such as the serious incursion into Estonian airspace by MiG-31 fighters that triggered Article 4 consultations in 2025, has reinforced Allied concerns about escalation risks and reinforced the need for robust air surveillance and rapid interception capacity along the Alliance’s northern and eastern flanks.
Parallel debates in Denmark and Greenland about increased Arctic surveillance, and the recent reinforcement of Arctic defence budgets, underline a shared Allied assessment that Russian activity in the High North is likely to rise. Seen in this light, Swedish Gripens at Keflavík are not simply an additional rotation in a long-standing mission, but a reinforcement of NATO’s ability to monitor and respond to Russian air and maritime movements at a key junction of the transatlantic security architecture.
Sweden’s decision to lead Icelandic Air Policing with JAS 39 Gripen fighters signals that the Alliance’s newest member is prepared to assume immediate operational responsibility on one of NATO’s most exposed frontiers, while adding a modern and flexible fighter capability to the collective defence of the High North. By integrating Swedish air power into the standing mission over Iceland, NATO tightens the link between Baltic–Nordic defence, North Atlantic reinforcement routes and Arctic security, all under a single, coherent operational framework. For NATO staffs, this deployment offers both a concrete enhancement of air policing capacity and an opportunity to deepen interoperability with the Swedish Air Force in a challenging theatre where Russian activities will continue to test Allied vigilance and resolve.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
