Iceland OBB and Iceland Defence Force OBB

[Canadian Army]

Iceland Defence Force
The Iceland Defence Force (IDF) is the US military command responsible for protecting Iceland, headquartered at KeflavÃÂ*k, and is a subordinate of US European Command. The Force is composed of US Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force personnel as well as local Icelandic civilians. In addition, there were a few US Coast Guard personnel attached to this command.

US Air Forces, Iceland - US Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF)

85th Tactical Fighter Wing
- 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- 932nd Air Control Squadron
- 56th Rescue Squadron

U.S. Army, Iceland - US Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF)

187th Infantry Brigade, USAR
- Headquarters Company
- 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment
- 5th Battalion, 5th Artillery Regiment
- 187th Support Battalion
- 987th Personnel Service Company
- 756th Engineer Company
- Troop D, 5th Cavalry Regiment

U.S. Navy, Iceland - US Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF)
- U.S. Naval Hospital Keflavik
- Keflavik Tactical Support Center
- Patrol Squadron TWO FOUR (VP-24)
- Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ELEVEN (VQ-11) [US Naval Reserve]

U.S. Marines Forces, Iceland - US Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF)
- Marine Corps Security Force Company Keflavik, Iceland

Attached NATO Squadrons
- Naval Squadron 320 - Koninklijke Marine [Royal Netherlands Navy]
- Marinefliegergeschwader 3 (Naval Air Wing 3) - Deutsche Marine [German Navy]
- No. 206 Squadron RAF - Royal Air Force
- 405 Maritime Patrol Squadron - Canadian Forces Air Command
- Naval Firefighting Team (650x local firefighters)

Iceland

Varnarmálastofnun �slands [Icelandic Defence Agency]
The Varnarmálastofnun �slands was founded in April 1995. It functions as Iceland's Defence Ministry and is under the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Among its duties is maintaining assisting the IDF, intelligence gathering and military coastal defence.

1x Company, IV Bataljon (4th Battalion); Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Life Guards) [Royal Danish Army]
This company is currently serving as training cadre and heavy waepons support unit for the �slenskur Skógarvörður, at the request of the Varnarmálastofnun �slands.

�slenska Vitsmunir Þjónusta [Icelandic Intelligence Service]
The ÃÂ�slenska Vitsmunir Þjónusta is charged with intelligence gathering for IDF and is made up 10 special agents hand picked from the RÃÂ*kislögreglan (Icelandic Police).

�slenska Loftvarnarkerfið [Iceland Air Defence System]
�slenska Loftvarnarkerfið was founded in 1987; it operates four radar complexes, support facility, and a command and reporting centre. �slenska Loftvarnarkerfið does not independently possess any offensive capabilities, as Iceland's only air defence weaponry is operated by the Coast Guard, but is primarily used to monitor air traffic and direct allied interceptors based out of country. It has become the main element of the newly created Varnarmálastofnun �slands.

�slenskur Skógarvörður [Icelandic Rangers]
The ÃÂ�slenskur Skógarvörður is a result of a merger of between the VÃÂ*kingasveitin (the Viking Squad) * and the ÃÂ�slenska Friðargæslan (Icelandic Crisis Response Unit) ** into a rifle company consisting of three platoons and a Company Headquarters, commanded by a Major, with a Kaptajn as Second-in-Command. The company headquarters includes an Oversergent and a Company Quartermaster Oversergent.

Landhelgisgæslan �slands [Icelandic Coast Guard]
The Landhelgisgæslan �slands's primary mission is the defending the sovereignty of Icelandic territorial waters, as well as keeping Icelandic law in the 200nm wide Economic zone. Other important missions are such as Search and Rescue, as well as defusing mines, and more recently NATO maritime defence. The Icelandic Coast Guard also operates within Greenlandic and Faeroese waters, following a bilateral agreement with Denmark regarding mutual aid in security, rescue and defence matters.

Ãâ€*gir Class Offshore Patrol Boat
The Ãâ€*gir class Offshore Patrol vessel is a class of two vessels serving in the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG), equipped with 1x 40 mm Bofors L60 MKIII Gun and 1x TF-LIF 332F Helicopter. The vessels are also armored for Ice browsing.
- ICGVÃâ€*gir (II)
- ICGV Týr (II)

ICGV Óðinn (III) Offshore Patrol Boat
The ICGV Óðinn is the oldest ship currently operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard, and like the Ãâ€*gir class Offshore Patrol vessel is with 1x 40 mm Bofors L60 MKIII Gun and 1x TF-LIF 332F Helicopter. It is believed that her Burmaster & Wain engines are only such engines that are still serviceable in the world today.

ICGV Baldur Offshore Patrol Boat
The Baldur is a former Hydrographic vessel, now serving as a Offshore Patrol Boat, and is equipped with 1x 40 mm Bofors L60 MKIII Gun.

Bragi Class Motorized Gunboat
The Asheville class gunboats are a class of small military ships originally built for the United States Navy in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, in service from 1967 to 1975. The Icelandic government first tried to acquire the Asheville class gunboats during the Third Cod War, but was denied by the American government. In 1995, Iceland accepted three Asheville class gunboats; under the Foreign Assistance Act. After all three Asheville class gunboats were transfered to the Landhelgisgæslan ÃÂ�slands, who renamed them the Bragi class. The first of class, ICGV Bragi (II), was commissioned in ReykjavÃÂ*k in December 1995, ICGV Njörður in June 1996, and ICGV ÃÂ�rvakur (II) in September 1996.
- ICGV Bragi (II)
- ICGV Njörður (II)
- ICGV �rvakur (II)

1x TF-SYN (Fokker F-27-200 Friendship)
Currently this plane is under going a conversion in order to provide the Landhelgisgæslan �slands with a anti-submarine warfare capablity.

RÃÂ*kislögreglan [Icelandic Police] (800 officers)
The RÃÂ*kislögreglan is responsible for Law enforcement on all Icelandic territories except at sea where the Icelandic Coast Guard enforces the law.

* An 80 person unit was similar to Germany's GSG 9 and Britain's SAS; the unit was under the command of the ReykjavÃÂ*k Chief of Police.

** A 100-person expeditionary military type unit, with a civilian element, operating under the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs; it was primarily designated for peacekeeping operations and was established in the early 1990s to improve the status of Iceland within NATO as it lacked sufficient armed forces to support NATO peacekeeping operations.

[Webstral]

This is a good start. Thanks.

Webstral

[Mohoender]

Very interesting.

[chico20854]

Nice work!

A few things I see Canadian Army-

187th IB was listed in the v1 US Army Vehicle Guide as part of the 43rd ID. I realize that its Cold War mission was to reinforce the Iceland garrison. (We kept it in 43rd ID for the stuff we're working on).

I also reinforced the USAF garrison with the 106th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Wing headquarters, the 507th Tactical Fighter Group with a squadron (the 465th) of F-16s, the 78th Aerial Refuelling Squadron with KC-10s (providing refueling support on the North Atlantic air bridge and for tactical operations in the Norwegian Sea) and the 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron (with 5 E-3 AWACS providing support for operations to the North and East).

There might also be some more USN P-3s, probably from the Navy Reserves. Keflavik is well placed to support ASW operations in all directions!

I find the Bragi-class boats interesting. Do you know what their previous USN hull numbers were? - I thought the US had disposed of all of them (or disarmed them and converted them to training or research roles) by the late 80s.

[Canadian Army]

Here is the back story on the three Bragi-class boats:

Canon (PG-90) ex-PGM-90
Laid down 28 June 1966 at the Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Tacoma, WA as PGM-90; Reclassified as a Patrol Gunboat, PG-90, 28 March 1967; Launched, 10 June 1967; Commissioned USS Canon (PG-90), 28 July 1968; Decommissioned, 31 January 1977 at Naval Station San Diego, CA; Struck from the Navy Register 9 October 1984; and laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility Philadelphia, PA. transferred to transferred to Iceland in 1996 under the Foreign Assistance Act; renamed �rvakur (II)
(In real life the Wisconson Naval Ship Association, Inc. of Greendale, WI is in negotiations with the Navy to bring Canon to Sheboygan, WI as a veteran's museum. To see some pictures of the USS Canon; http://navysite.de/specials/philadelphia/pg90philly.htm)

Tacoma (PG-92) ex-PGM-92
Laid down 24 July 1967 as Motor Gunboat, PGM-92 by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Tacoma, WA; Reclassified as a Patrol Gunboat, PG-92; Launched 13 April 1968; Commissioned USS Tacoma (PG-92), 14 July 1969; Decommissioned, 1 May 1983; 16 May 1983 leased to the Colombian National Armada as fast attack ships; Struck from the Naval Register, 4 December 1995; transferred to transferred to Iceland in 1996 under the Foreign Assistance Act; renamed Bragi (II)
(In real life the ship was transferred to Columbia as ARC Quitasueno (Sleepless) - (P 112) on 20 September 1995; decommissioned and transferred to the Columbian Customs Service)

Welch (PG-93)ex-PGM-93
Laid down 8 May 1967 as PGM-93 at Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisc; Launched 25 July 1968; Commissioned USS Welch (PG-93), 8 September 1969 at Boston, MA; Decommissioned, 20 September 1981 at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, VA; 16 May 1983 leased to the Colombian National Armada as fast attack ships; Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1995; transferred to Iceland in 1996 under the Foreign Assistance Act; renamed Njörður (II)
(In real life Transferred to the Columbian Coast Guard as Albuquerque (P 111) on 20 September 1995; decommissioned and transferred to the Columbian Customs Service)