Editing Defence of Iceland (section)

{{Short description|Combined military forces of Iceland}}
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[[File:2 Arrival of Thor - Icelandic Coast Guard 2011-10-27 Reykjavik.jpg|thumb|right|Icelandic Flagship [[ICGV Þór (2009)|ICGV Þór]], 27 October 2011, Reykjavík]]

'''[[Iceland]]''''s defence forces consist of the [[Icelandic Coast Guard]], which patrols Icelandic waters and monitors its airspace, and other services such as the [[Police commissioner|National Commissioner]]'s [[Icelandic Police|National Security]] and the [[Viking Squad|Special Unit of the National Police Commissioner]].<ref>[http://www.vmsi.is/ Varnarmálastofnun Íslands.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120062827/http://www.vmsi.is/ |date=2011-11-20 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.althingi.is/altext/stjt/2010.098.html|title=Lög um breytingu á varnarmálalögum, nr. 34/2008.|publisher=althingi.is |access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.althingi.is/altext/stjt/2008.034.html|title=Varnarmálalög.|publisher=althingi.is |access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhg.is/landhelgisgaeslan/hlutverk/nr/10|title=Landhelgisgæsla Íslands Hlutverk.|access-date=23 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706235242/http://www.lhg.is/landhelgisgaeslan/hlutverk/nr/10|archive-date=2014-07-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> Iceland maintains no [[standing army]], the only [[NATO]] member for which this is the case.

The Coast Guard consists of three ships and four aircraft and armed with [[Firearm|small arms]], [[naval artillery]], and [[Iceland Air Defence System|air defence radar stations]].<ref name="iads">{{cite web |url=http://www.iads.is/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-01-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420130141/http://www.iads.is/ |archive-date=2009-04-20 }}</ref> The Coast Guard also maintains the [[Iceland Air Defence System]], formerly part of the disestablished [[Iceland Defence Agency|Defence Agency]], which conducts surveillance from the ground of Iceland's air space.<ref name="iads"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aco.nato.int/page142085426.aspx|title=NATO Air Policing|publisher=NATO|access-date=23 October 2014|archive-date=24 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124134809/http://www.aco.nato.int/page142085426.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Additionally, there is a [[Iceland Crisis Response Unit|Crisis Response Unit (ICRU)]], operated by the [[Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Iceland)|Ministry for Foreign Affairs]], which is a small [[peacekeeping]] force that has been deployed internationally, since 2008. This unit also has an unarmed component.

There is a treaty with the [[United States]], which until 2006 maintained the [[Naval Air Station Keflavik]], regarding the defence of Iceland. The base, now operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard, has been regularly visited by the US military and other allied NATO members.<ref>{{cite web |first=Trude |last=Pettersen
|date= February 10, 2016|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2016/02/us-military-returns-iceland |title=U.S. military returns to Iceland|publisher=The Independent Barents Observer AS}}</ref> In 2017 the United States announced its interest in renovating a hangar, in order to accommodate a [[Boeing P-8 Poseidon]] [[Anti-submarine warfare|ASW]] aircraft at the air base.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.airforcetimes.com/flashpoints/2017/12/17/us-plans-200-million-buildup-of-european-air-bases-flanking-russia/|title=US plans $200 million buildup of European air bases flanking Russia|first=Shawn|last=Snow|date=17 December 2017|publisher=Air Force Times }}</ref>

There are also agreements concerning military and other security operations with [[Norway]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/ud/Press-Contacts/News/2007/mou-2.html?id=464488|title=Iceland and Norway sign MoU on security policy cooperation |date=26 April 2007 |publisher=Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs |access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/UD/Vedlegg/icelandmou.pdf|title=An English translation of the Norwegian-Icelandic MoU at the website of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs }}</ref> [[Denmark]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=72317 |title=Norway Post: Norway and Iceland to sign defence agreement |publisher=[[Norway Post]] |access-date=23 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092727/http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=72317 |archive-date=29 September 2007 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1753031.ece Aftenposten: Norway to help defend Iceland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629022120/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1753031.ece |date=2011-06-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2007/04/26/120138.htm?rss=true|title=Danmarks Radio|date=26 April 2007 |access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref> and other [[Member states of NATO|NATO countries]].

Iceland holds the annual [[List of NATO exercises|NATO exercises]] entitled [[Northern Viking]]. The most recent exercises were held in 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhg.is/frettirogutgafa/frettir/nr/1933|title=A press release from the Icelandic Coast Guard.|access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref> as well as the [[Explosive Ordnance Disposal|EOD]] exercise "[[Northern Challenge Exercise|Northern Challenge]]". In 1997 Iceland hosted its first [[Partnership for Peace]] (PfP) exercise, "[[Cooperative Safeguard]]", which is the only multilateral PfP exercise so far in which Russia has participated. Another major PfP exercise was hosted in 2000. Iceland has also contributed ICRU peacekeepers to [[Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina|SFOR]], [[Kosovo Force|KFOR]] and [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]].

Iceland has never participated in a full-scale [[war]] or invasion. Furthermore, the [[constitution of Iceland]] has no mechanism to declare war.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-14 |title=From Iceland — Ask A Historian: Has Iceland Ever Been Involved In Any Wars Or Conflicts |url=https://grapevine.is/mag/interview/2017/07/14/ask-a-historian-has-iceland-ever-been-involved-in-any-wars-or-conflicts/ |access-date=2020-10-17 |website=The Reykjavik Grapevine |language=en-US}}</ref>