newstodate.aero
Feb 11 ,2016 (newstodate): Keflavik Airport may see the return of US military operations in response to the Russian military build-up in the Arctic region.
According to a US website on military affairs, plans are underway for the stationing of anti-submarine forces including the P-8 Poseidon aircraft to monitor Russian submarine activities in the North Atlantic waters.
If carried through, the plans include the reconstruction and upgrading of existing aircraft hangars and implementation of other pertinent infrastructure at Keflavik.
The US air force established Keflavik as an AFB in 1951 during the cold war, but pulled out again by the end of September 2006 as threats of a confrontation with Russia seemed to decline.
Since the US pull-out, Keflavik has been left with an abundance of unused capacity in the form of runways, installations and building, while a number of projects to revive the resources have failed.
Among the more lofty were plans to cooperate with the Dutch company E C A Program that would take delivery of up to 30 advanced Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker aircraft, ground based Radar systems, Command & Control units and surface to Air missile defense units from the Belorussian military export authority Beltechexport.
Up to 15 of these Russian fighters would then be stationed at the military part of Keflavik Airport to provide combat training opportunities for NATO air forces, and E C A Program was then in the market to hire 45 SU-27 pilots.
According to a US website on military affairs, plans are underway for the stationing of anti-submarine forces including the P-8 Poseidon aircraft to monitor Russian submarine activities in the North Atlantic waters.
If carried through, the plans include the reconstruction and upgrading of existing aircraft hangars and implementation of other pertinent infrastructure at Keflavik.
The US air force established Keflavik as an AFB in 1951 during the cold war, but pulled out again by the end of September 2006 as threats of a confrontation with Russia seemed to decline.
Since the US pull-out, Keflavik has been left with an abundance of unused capacity in the form of runways, installations and building, while a number of projects to revive the resources have failed.
Among the more lofty were plans to cooperate with the Dutch company E C A Program that would take delivery of up to 30 advanced Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker aircraft, ground based Radar systems, Command & Control units and surface to Air missile defense units from the Belorussian military export authority Beltechexport.
Up to 15 of these Russian fighters would then be stationed at the military part of Keflavik Airport to provide combat training opportunities for NATO air forces, and E C A Program was then in the market to hire 45 SU-27 pilots.