F-15Cs of the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron have begun NATO air sovereignty alerts over Iceland after deploying recently from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, to Keflavik International Airport. “In this NATO mission, we identify and escort unauthorized aircraft before they reach Iceland’s sovereign airspace,” said Lt. Col. Michael Casey, 493rd EFS commander, in a May 22 release. “We practice scramble launches and when we receive an alert, the F-15s can be in the air within 15 minutes,” he added. Air Force Eagles provided continuous quick-reaction alert under a bilateral agreement with Iceland until 2006. At the Icelandic government’s request, NATO fighters now intermittently rotate for several weeks at a time to defend Iceland’s skies. Along with the fighters, KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, Britain, and C-130Js from Ramstein AB, Germany, deployed to provide aerial refueling and rescue support. German air force F-4s completed a stint last month. The 493rd EFS will depart Iceland on June 7, according to Lakenheath officials. (Keflavik report by 2nd Lt. Lyndsey Horn) (NATO release)
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
