Belgian F-16s support NATO air defence during Northern Viking 2026

Belgian Air Force F-16s deployed to Iceland have supported NATO air defence while Allied forces conducted Exercise Northern Viking 2026 across Iceland and the North Atlantic.

The Belgian detachment arrived at Keflavik Air Base on 7 August for a month-long deployment and formally assumed responsibility for NATO’s Iceland Air Defence mission on 17 August. The operation forms part of the Arctic Sentry enhanced Vigilance Activity led by Joint Force Command Norfolk.

Although the air-defence mission remained operationally separate from Northern Viking, Belgian aircraft contributed to the exercise environment, improving coordination with Allied command-and-control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Northern Viking was a US-led joint exercise involving NATO and national air, maritime and land forces. Joint Force Command Norfolk participated alongside Allied Maritime Command, Allied Air Command and other Allied units, with the training focused on readiness and interoperability in the strategically important Greenland–Iceland–United Kingdom Gap.

NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre at Bodø indirectly supported the exercise by monitoring Arctic airspace and providing command-and-control capabilities.

The Belgian deployment also reflects NATO’s transition from traditional air policing towards a broader, layered 360-degree air-defence posture, combining fighters, sensors and command systems with other air and missile-defence assets.

NATO said the concurrent operational deployment and multinational exercise strengthened its ability to protect the High North, maintain transatlantic links and respond rapidly to threats against Allied territory and airspace.