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May 26, 2020 (newstodate): Iceland's Keflavik Airport was an important military base for USAF until September 2006 when the US government announced its decision to close down and dismantle the military installations.
   The US Air Force established Keflavik as an AFB in 1951 during the Cold War, but pulled out as threats of a confrontation with Russia seemed to decline.
   Today, with the Arctic region increasingly becoming an area of potential contention between world powers, USA is planning a return in light of the current worries over Russia's military strategies and Chinese global ambitions.
   According to Icelandic media, US Navy has launched work on an airside project as part of plans for a new infrastructure to support NATO's maritime patrol aircraft, initially comprising reconstruction of an existing hangar complex and facilities for aircraft maintenance.
   Both US Navy and USAF are involved in the plans, with USAF requiring the refurbishment of airport runways and taxiway systems.
    The US pull-out left Keflavik with an abundance of unused capacity in the form of runways, installations and building, while a number of projects to recapitalize on the resources have failed.  
   Among the more lofty were plans in 2016 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.