Naval Air Station Keflavik
| Naval Air Station Keflavik | |
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| Located at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland | |
NAS Keflavik, Iceland, in 1982
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 NAS Keflavik
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| Coordinates | 63°59′06″N 22°36′20″W / 63.98500°N 22.60556°WCoordinates: 63°59′06″N 22°36′20″W / 63.98500°N 22.60556°W |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Icelandic Coast Guard |
Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) is a former U.S. Navy base at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. It is located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. Built during World War II by the United States Army as part of its mission to maintain the occupation of Iceland and secure northern Atlantic air routes, it served to ferry personnel, equipment, and supplies to Europe. Intended as a temporary wartime base under an agreement with Iceland and the British, US forces withdrew by 1947, but returned in 1951 as the Iceland Defense Force, now operating a NATO base. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006 and its facilities taken over by the Icelandic Defence Agency as their primary base until January 1, 2011 when the Agency was abolished. The base is currently used by the Icelandic Coast Guard.
Naval Air Station Keflavik was the host command for all U.S. defense activities in Iceland. The major commands stationed on the base were the United States Air Force's 85th Group, Fleet Air Keflavik, the headquarters of the U.S.-provided Iceland Defense Force, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Keflavik, U.S. Naval Hospital Keflavik and NAVFAC Keflavik. The positions of Commander, Fleet Air Keflavik and Commander, Iceland Defence Force were held by the same U.S. Navy rear admiral. There were more than 25 different commands of various sizes and personnel from the US Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard in Iceland. Also present were representatives from Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark.
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