Mystery Questions of the Month - March 2013

Background

Policing is a protective security practice.  Whether performed by civilian or military establishments a normal premise of effective policing is assuring that bad guys are never privy to confidential information such as schedules, etc.

Icelandic Air Policing
Iceland does not maintain an air force. The country was left without means to patrol its airspace when the United States withdrew from Keflavik Air Base in September 2006.  Following the withdrawal Russia's 37th Air Army aircraft have entered Icelandic airspace on several occasions.

Since May 2008, Iceland's NATO allies have sometimes deployed fighter aircraft to Keflavik to protect its airspace. Past deployment schedules appear at Wikipedia with information on future deployments:

 "In October 2012, the governments of Finland and Sweden announced that, at the request of Iceland, they would contribute forces to the air policing mission during 2014. The North Atlantic Council formally approved the participation of these countries on 19 December that year. It is planned that the Finnish and Swedish forces will be deployed between January and April 2014; at this time Norway will lead the forces in Iceland and will sponsor the presence of the other national forces."

For those concerned, timely scheduling for next month (April 2013) also appears in Iceland News outlets (Monday, 25 March 2013):

Canada will guard the Icelandic airspace in April with six fighter jets
"Six CF-18 Hornet fighter jets from Canada are expected to Iceland by the end of the month. They will guard the Icelandic airspace through April according to an announcement from the Canadian authorities. The jets will come from a military base in Quebec, but a total of 160 soldiers will be involved in the surveillance. This is the second time the Canadian air force handles the surveillance in Iceland, but 5 fighter jets were in Iceland from March 28th and through April in 2011."  

 

Questions of the Month

1)  Why have there been apparent gaps in Iceland's Air Policing deployment schedule?

2)  Certain months appear more critical (deployments were scheduled in the past), while other months appear vacant.  What would possibly need to be policed (protected) on only a part-time basis in Iceland?

3)  Russians have also been accused of submarine intrusions into Swedish waters, as well as suspected in more recent black ops.  Does Russia have imperialist designs on Iceland and Sweden?

4)  If your answer to Question 3) was NO, what threat by whom needs such odd policing?

ANSWERS:  Good question!

Submarines are always silent and strange.