Iceland Defense Force
Iceland Defense Force (IDF), Keflavik, Iceland, is a subordinate unified command of U.S. Joint Forces Command and is composed of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel as well as local Icelandic civilians. The commander and his staff are responsible for actions taken in compliance with inter-governmental agreements and for conducting all joint planning matters affecting the defense of Iceland.
IDF was created in 1951 when, at the request of NATO, the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland and the North Atlantic. Today, it provides a dynamic and challenging work environment with the overall responsibility for all military operations in Iceland resting with the IDF commander, a Navy rear admiral. The IDF commander is also Commander Fleet Air Keflavik and Commander Iceland Sector Anti-Submarine Warfare Group.
Commander Fleet Air Keflavik is responsible for coordinating the maritime patrol operations of deployed P-3 Orion aircraft. It is also responsible for the operational readiness of Navy units assigned. These crucial roles give Keflavik the distinction of being the ASW capital of the world.
The 85th Group is the Air Force component in Iceland. The group is responsible for deterring aggression in the North Atlantic and protecting Iceland's airspace. It also supports contingency operations through surveillance, air superiority and rescue forces.
The ground defense of Iceland is the responsibility of U.S. Army Iceland (ARICE), the Army component of the Iceland Defense Force, consisting entirely of reserve components from the United States. ARICE would deploy, if required, augmenting base defense personnel who come from Marine, Navy and Air Force security units.
There are more than 25 different commands of various sizes attached to Iceland Defense Force, with people from all branches of the U.S. Armed Services. The command is also the home of the Iceland Defense Force Joint Reserve Unit. Approximately 1800 U.S. military personnel, 100 DoD civilians, and 850 Icelandic civilians as well as military members from the Netherlands, Norway, Canada and Denmark work on NAS Keflavik.
