The Royal Air Force’s Lightning Squadron has successfully passed NATO accreditation, allowing it to undertake Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties in Iceland for the first time, according to a press release. The accreditation was obtained on Friday, August 9, 2024, and the squadron began its QRA duties at midnight on Sunday. The deployment in Iceland is scheduled for August to September 2024.
The accreditation process, conducted by NATO officials, was designed to ensure the full readiness of the Royal Air Force’s Lightning Squadron to carry out QRA missions from Keflavik Air Base in Iceland. This involved verifying the pilots’ ability to execute these critical missions and ensuring the effectiveness of communication channels between the Control and Reporting Center, command, and the pilots themselves.
“We know that the pilots are capable of carrying out QRA missions, and we know that the Control and Reporting Center can manage these missions. But being in Keflavik, in a different location, we want to ensure that communication from us to the command center and to the pilots in the cockpit is flawless,” said Major Patricia, an accredited NATO representative from the Belgian Air Force.
Wing Commander Campbell, the officer commanding the 617 Squadron, expressed pride in the squadron’s achievement in a press release. “I am very proud that the squadron has received NATO accreditation, especially because this will be the first time British F-35Bs will conduct Quick Reaction Alert training from a land-based station.”
Since 2008, NATO members have been deploying fighter jets to Iceland two or three times a year in support of the island’s air policing mission. This marks the second such mission for the RAF in 2024, following the completion of Operation Biloxi in Romania earlier this month.
Source: Ukdefencejournal
