Warning: armed aircraft

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephen Linch
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KEFLAVIK, Iceland --  Airmen with the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arm an F-15C Eagle with AIM-9X and AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile munitions in support of NATO's Icelandic Air Policing Mission on Sept. 23.

The 493rd EFS performed the IAP mission from Sept. 6 to 24.

The squadron was comprised of a specialized team of its own to ensure Iceland's air sovereignty. In addition to the Airmen from the 48th Fighter Wing, there were Airmen from as close as the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, and as far away as the 56th Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

The IAP mission is conducted as part of NATO's mission of providing air sovereignty for member nations and has also been conducted by France, Denmark, Spain and Poland.

Air policing encompasses radar surveillance and identification of objects in the airspace. When required, fighter aircraft may be employed to assist in identification, or to assist or escort aircraft.

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