The Royal Air Force’s Lightning force has successfully passed its NATO accreditation, enabling it to hold Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties in Iceland for the first time, according to a press release.
The accreditation was achieved on Friday, 9th August 2024, and the squadron has already begun its QRA commitment as of midnight on Sunday.
The deployment to Iceland is scheduled to last from August through September 2024.
The accreditation process, carried out by NATO officials, was designed to ensure that the RAF’s Lightning force is fully prepared to execute QRA missions from Keflavik, Iceland.
This includes verifying the ability of pilots to carry out these critical missions and ensuring the effectiveness of communication channels between the Control Reporting Centre, the Chain of Command, and the pilots themselves.
“We know that the pilots are able to do QRA missions, we know the Control Reporting Centre are able to control those missions, but being in Keflavik, in a different location, we want to see that the comms from us to Chain of Command to the pilots into the cockpit is flawless,” said Major Patricia, a NATO accreditor from the Belgian Air Force.
Wing Commander Campbell, Officer Commanding 617 Squadron, expressed pride in the squadron’s achievement in a news release.
“I am very proud of the Squadron to have achieved their NATO accreditation, especially as this will be the first time the UK F-35B has held Quick Reaction Alert from a land base.”
Since 2008, NATO Allies have deployed fighter jets to Iceland two or three times a year to support the island’s air policing mission. This marks the second such mission for the RAF in 2024, following the conclusion of Operation Biloxi in Romania earlier this month.
I bet most of you think of Iceland as a small place but did you know it’s actually the Worlds 18th largest Island and the second largest after Great Britain in Europe ??????
Thought not.
Those Cod wars weren’t exactly fought over a small portion of the northern Atlantic.
Blue Lagoon is worth dipping into.
Just don’t buy a burger and chips for two. We did, 50 quid later.
Stop being Tight 🤭🤭
😳
Second biggest island in Europe isn’t much of an achievement as what is third? But yeah it’s a big place.
Ah Ireland of course. Then 4th is tiny.
Iceland 39,817 square miles.
Ireland 32,595
Sicily 9,974
Sardinia 9,300
Us “Mapoholics” may not have a body like Atlas, but we have a body of Atlases.
Bit shocked it’s taken so long for F35 QRA acreditation.
Bit shocked that we would choose to put our only Stealth fighter next to lost bears when Typhoon is more than capable and available in much bigger numbers.
This gives them a chance to get F-35B data with their ELINT equipped aircraft equivalent to RC135W Rivet Joint because QRA is a predictable protocol.
I’m told:
“When F35’s are used for air policing they carry a Lunberg Lens that reflects radar and changes their radar signature so the enemy can’t capture any tracking details.”
So the ELINT concern is dealt with.