British F-35 over Iceland. HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier strengthens NATO's northern flank

On 6 July, the British Ministry of Defence reported the F-35B Lightning II combat duty from aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as part of the NATO airspace protection over Iceland and the North Atlantic. This is the first time NATO has carried out an Air Police mission from a European aircraft carrier.

NATO-led aircraft carrier

HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy flagship, operates in the Iceland area as the main element of the British airport group. The team was subordinate to NATO Command and performs tasks in the northern Atlantic and the High North area.

There are over 1,500 British soldiers and sailors aboard and accompanying ships. The group also includes an anti-aircraft destroyer type 45 HMS Duncan and the RFA auxiliary fleet tanker Tidesspring.

F-35 over Iceland

The key element of the operation is the participation of F-35B fighters from the HMS deck Prince of Wales. British aircraft perform on-call tasks in the airspace over Iceland and the North Atlantic, supporting the NATO Air Defense System.

This is not just a flag show. Iceland does not have its own air force capable of conducting combat duty, which is why the protection of its airspace has been based on the rotational presence of NATO machinery for years. This time part of this task has taken over the aircraft, which gives the operation additional importance.

The North Atlantic is returning to the spotlight

The activities of the British airport group are part of a wider activity NATO in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The Alliance strengthens its presence there, as the region is crucial for the safety of maritime routes, for the proliferation of forces between North America and Europe and for the protection of offshore infrastructure.

From a military perspective, it is also important that a British aircraft carrier acts as a moving airport. It does not replace land bases, but may temporarily take over some of the tasks where access to maritime critical infrastructure is restricted or exposed to enemy activities.

London underlines readiness to act

Visit of British Defence Minister Dan Jarvis aboard HMS Prince of Wales had a political and military dimension. London shows that it wants to remain one of the main European pillars of NATO at sea and in the air.

In parallel, the Royal Navy prepares for tasks in NATO a second aircraft carrier. HMS Queen Elizabeth, after completion of the planned maintenance work, is to act as a floating command post Allied Reaction Force. This shows that both British aircraft carriers are to be not only a force projection tool, but also an element of the Natovian crisis response system.

For NATO, however, the most important thing is the fact that the European aircraft carrier participates for the first time in the protection of the national airspace. In the context of Russia's increasing activity and hybrid threats in the northern waters, it is a clear signal that the North Atlantic is once again becoming one of the most important maritime safety areas in the region.