NATO recently shared striking images of F-35B jets from RAF Marham as they take part in a NATO air policing mission in Iceland.

This deployment marks the first time British F-35s have been involved in such a mission.

The photos, which showcase the cutting-edge stealth jets, capture the F-35s on the ground preparing for their missions against the backdrop of Iceland’s dramatic landscape.

This deployment follows the recent completion of a four-month mission by RAF Typhoons in Romania, where six jets and over two hundred personnel were stationed to defend NATO’s eastern border. The F-35s from 617 Squadron have now taken over the task, patrolling Icelandic airspace from their base at RAF Marham.

NATO air policing is a critical peacetime mission to preserve Allied skies’ security. The continuous presence of fighter aircraft and crews ensures a swift response to any potential airspace violations, with the F-35s’ advanced sensors and stealth capabilities providing a significant tactical advantage.

Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, reinforced the importance of this mission, stating, “The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With threats increasing and growing Russian aggression, it is vital that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies.”

This mission in Iceland, which follows a successful operation in Romania, demonstrates the UK’s ability to operate and deter adversaries across NATO’s airspace., say the Ministry of Defence.

Tom Dunlop
Tom Dunlop
Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.

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54 COMMENTS

  1. Fantastic to see. Let’s all look forward to next year and the deployment of 617 squadron and 809 NAS on HMS Prince of Wales, all 24 of them! 14 Merlins too! What an impressive sight that is going to be!

    • Haven’t you heard? The new labour government needs to save money. F-35 will be binned, and thus the carriers as well. Might as well get ready to hear about another round of defence cuts.

      • After the devestation of 14 years of Tory cuts to the forces, further cuts and we’ll be better off learning to speak Russian or Chinese, cow-towing & parroting whatever line Moscow or Beijing demands. Most of us probably are already on their black lists.

        • After 13 years of previous Labour cuts, whats the difference in reality! They both cut, they will both continue to cut and both continue to blame each other for the cuts. Never ending cycle.

          • Well previously it was during a period of rapprochement (if perceived more than real in the last decade +) and when the US looked like a powerful and reliable partner. Things are very different now so a new perspective (and defence of it) is there. Whether any Govt takes it seriously or simply plays head in the sand lip service is as yet unclear. But unlike before there will be a lot of external pressure on them that will have far more influence in the public sphere than since the 90s so they will have to do a damn good pr job if the Govt is going to refuse decent investment let alone continue to gut the services as in the previous 20 years.

          • Isnt alot left to cut, was easier when had 30-40k extra personnel could just not replace and rely on savings from wages. Now its getting much harder to cut the costs.

            Is the budget for Ukraine being taken directly out of the MOD budget or elsewhere? If so thats not going to be easy to cover up either.

          • Hi James. Both are exasperating, but the difference is when they cut beyond critical mass, leaving the nation dangerously exposed, as well as allies depending on us & giving free reign to our enemies. It also makes life miserable for what few front line personal left & makes retention harder. It can’t be a never ending cycle as once taken beyond minimum levels it is is treasonous, criminal neglect putting the future of the UK at grave risk.
            In RN terms many thought 25 escorts was too few & most that 19 was. Now we’re at 15, likely to drop to 13 before things stabilise, we really are up the creek without the proverbial paddle.

            What has it benefitted us? Has it kept taxes down?-They’re the highest for decades.
            Has it allowed other services to thrive?-They’re all cut to(or beyond) the bone & at breaking point.
            Public sector wages have been devestated too, austerity crushing hopes of rises that keep up with inflation, only now being addressed.
            Has it allowed us to reduce the national debt?- No, it has actually increased to record levels.

            Now it’s up to Labour to sort this out, but if they just make it even worse I’ll not be holding back. Once you’ve abandond ship & are in the lifeboat, selling off survival gear or drilling holes in the hull is madness.

            I think this is the difference.
            I fear for the future of democracy & freedom.

          • Quote from Navy Lookout…
            ‘The intention for the 2025 deployment is to carry a substantial all-British air group comprising 24 F-35s and around 14 Merlins. Activity this year should see progression towards fielding this very credible air group.’

            Link….
            https://www.navylookout.com/examining-the-state-of-the-uk-carrier-strike-capability/

          • Thank you. A normally credible source, but oddly it makes no mention of Wildcats.

            CSG 21 had 3 HC4, 3 Crowsnest and 4 ASW. Also 4 Wildcats.

            Having 14 rotaries again wouldn’t surprise me; I just wonder about them being all Merlins.

          • I would expect to see a couple of Wildcats included in the airgroup as well. Also, it is highly likely that we will see US, Italian and Japanese Lightnings operating from the ship. This is going to be a very significant deployment.

          • I’d expect to see Wildcats too, not least if we are sending two destroyers.

            The press have claimed RFA Argus will be involved, which gives a lot more logistics helicopter capacity than Ft Vic had. Unfortunately it’s even slower than the Forts.

      • Quote from an article in Navy Lookout. ‘It should be noted that the F-35s of the UK Lightning Force are operated jointly with the RAF, both 617 and 809 Squadron have a mix of RN and RAF personnel. The jets are not permanently assigned to one squadron and rotate as needed as they pass in and out of the sustainment fleet. Full Operating Capability for the two frontline squadrons is scheduled for 2025 and the RN has previously stated it expects to embark 24 UK jets on HMS Prince of Wales for the global deployment next year.’ Here is the link to that article: https://www.navylookout.com/809-naval-air-squadron-returns-to-the-skies/

      • Quote from an article in Navy Lookout. ‘It should be noted that the F-35s of the UK Lightning Force are operated jointly with the RAF, both 617 and 809 Squadron have a mix of RN and RAF personnel. The jets are not permanently assigned to one squadron and rotate as needed as they pass in and out of the sustainment fleet. Full Operating Capability for the two frontline squadrons is scheduled for 2025 and the RN has previously stated it expects to embark 24 UK jets on HMS Prince of Wales for the global deployment next year.’ Here is the link to that article: https://www.navylookout.com/809-naval-air-squadron-returns-to-the-skies/

    • 24 F35’s and 14 Merlins pretty much leaves next to bugger all left.
      Our real threat is a lot closer to home, can’t see the point of this deployment really.
      It’ll take a toll on equipment for years after they return.
      Of the current escorts we assume that three will go and at a push maybe one Astute, one Tide and that’s pretty much all, which leaves not a lot here or in other places.

      • Let’s leave it to the experts.

        Quote from Navy Lookout…

        ‘The intention for the 2025 deployment is to carry a substantial all-British air group comprising 24 F-35s and around 14 Merlins. Activity this year should see progression towards fielding this very credible air group.’

        Link….

        https://www.navylookout.com/examining-the-state-of-the-uk-carrier-strike-capability/

      • Hi Baker. Russia is a real wildcard threat, but if the PRC attacks Taiwan, as Xi has pledged to do & all the signs are he will, that will have probably far more effect on us as it will close down the massive amount of trade exports we stupidly depend upon, having closed down so much manufacturing here & exported those jobs & industries to China.-Feeding the beast that wants to destroy freedom & democracy. Besides, the PRC has been constantly attacking us in the west in the grey zone for decades.

  2. As someone commented on a similar recent article, why are pylon mounted wing tip missiles being carried when stealth is the primary capability of the F35? Are they too small to make significant difference?

    • It is worth considering if it is wise to reveal your true signature during peacetime. So adding a few bits here and there could be a way to blur the truth. 😉

    • On hour one, day one they would go full stealth .
      After doing what they need to do to degrade the enemy systems you can then go less stealthy to full non stealthy beast mode.

    • They also fly around with Luneburg lens fitted in peace time. It makes them deliberately Non stealthy, so nobody gets to see the real RCS. In a war situation off come the lenses, down goes the RCS

    • in the case of the AIM-9x block ii+ its redesigned with stealth shape and materials as well as a stealth weapons pylon, testing shows it has no real effect on the radar signature of the plane. im not sure about ASRAAM however.

      • Assume it’s same pylon for ASRAAM and relatively slim and directional RCS.
        Probably like GB said, they don’t care in peacetime.

  3. Nice to see ASRAAM mounted on the wings, can they also be fired from the weapons bays or is this yet to be integrated?

    • The weapons bays will have AMRAAMs within to give the out of sight kill, bays in the B’s is way smaller than in A’s and C’s due to the lift fan taking up so much space.

      • So is the way the F35B aquires V/STOL different to the way the Harrier did then? From what I unnderstand The Harrier did vectored thrust which created lift from the engine by rotating the nozzles under the wings – Does the F35B not work in the same way?

    • I think the capability was dropped in the early 2010s when the Government were flip-flopping between ramp and catapult.

  4. Another none story by the MOD you don’t need stealth in an Air Policing role, indeed in peacetime its best the enemy knows you are there ready to intercept them if they threaten sensitive airspace. Until NATO took it over, the USAF and the RAF stood QRA for the GIUK Gap for many years .The USAF F4s and later F15s operated from KEF supported by EC121s and later E3As and the RAF F4s and later Tornado F3s from their QRA bases usually Leuchars with AAR support from Marham and AEW Shackletons from Lossie. I have know Lightnings from Binbrook stand patrols in the area in almost constant contact with Victor Tankers! So nothing new and really. Many of the capabilities of the F35B are wasted in the role and Typhoons would be far more appropriate. But it’s probably useful to rotate different squadrons through the role for experience and fulfill the UK’s NATO commitments. It might also be useful to promote the F35 given the current Defence Review and likely financial pressures on RAF budgets and future spend.

    • The RAF Typhoon Squadrons are heavily used with multiple deployments – it’s no bad thing that the F35b’s from 617 Squadron can chip in to take some of the load off of them.Also when deployed on the Carriers Air Policing/QRA forms an important part of their role so practicing it away from RAF Marham is a bonus.

  6. New member here an expat living in Oz so be nice I know just enough to make me dangerous. So lots of talk on here of UK defence force, cut backs etc as well as “external threats.I would like to know why we (you) need more F35s,Typhoons etc.Its been a long time since we actually had an air to air dual in the skies around the Uk and Europe for that matter. In the age of BVR ,wouldnt it be a better principal to have say a fleet ( or commericial ) aircraft the size of a 777 or A360 fitted with several dozen BVR missiles rather than a fleet of fighters to do the dirty work.As long as we have Wedgetails up there to see what is around rather than a $8B carrier with $$3B worth of aircraft again maybe with BVRs which could be rendered inoperable by one “successful” missile strike. Your thoughts please.

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