The United States Navy may expect to receive roughly 14 million dollars to make necessary refurbishments to the army’s flight hangars in Iceland. Vísir reports.
The U.S. Congress has already passed a bill on the funding, which is currently awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature.
This will be done in order to accommodate more P-8 Poseidon jets in Iceland, which specialize in locating submarines.
Out of the 59 jets available in the world, 8 have been stationed in Iceland. This is due to the increasing presence of Russian submarines in the North Atlantic Ocean, specifically near Iceland.
According to a spokesman from the Department of Defense, Russia has focused on increasing submarine activities in the North Atlantic, as it provides easier access to U.S. shores in the unlikely event that a conflict might ensue one day.
Magnus Nordenman, a specialist at the Atlantic Council, believes that Iceland will be as important as it used to be in the Cold War. Its location provided the U.S. with a valuable viewpoint into Soviet activities in the North Atlantic Ocean.
“Iceland is key,” he added. “It’s the unsinkable aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic that you can fly from.”
