U.S. Fleet Forces Command

Alliance Strength in the GIUK Gap Vice Adm. Doug Perry, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet and Joint Force Command Norfolk, meets with allied forces and distinguished visitors aboard ICGV Freyja in KEFLAVIK, Iceland, August 18.   Northern Viking 2026 strengthens interoperability and forge readiness capabilities between the U.S., Iceland and Allied nations, enhancing the ability to command and control Joint and Allied forces in the defense of Iceland and the strategic lines of communication in the Greenland, Iceland, and United Kingdom (GIUK) gap. #C2F #IntegrateTheFleet #AlliesAndPartners #NATO

Flight Deck Delivery MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, support a replenishment-at-sea between Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) and supply-class combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8). These operations provide critical cargo and fuel transfers in support of ongoing maritime security missions. Mason is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. #USNavy #C2F #TheFleet #BattleReady #MaritimeSecurity

Exercise Northern Viking 2026 Marks 75 Years Of U.S.-Iceland Defense Cooperation KEFLAVIK, Iceland – U.S. Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Soldiers have arrived in Keflavik, Iceland, joining forces with the Icelandic Coast Guard and other NATO Allies to officially kick off U.S. Sixth Fleet’s Northern Viking 2026 (NV26) exercise during an opening ceremony on August 18, 2026. Participating nations in NV26 include Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Norway, Poland, and the United States, alongside specialized assets and personnel from Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk. "Our defence cooperation with the United States has thrived for 75 years because it has never stood still; it has developed to meet evolving challenges of our time," said Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs. "The best way to celebrate this anniversary is not merely by commemorating our partnership, but by actually practicing it -- together and alongside our Allies. Northern Viking is precisely that, a demonstration that the commitments we have made to one another are dynamic, practical and built on trust - underpinned by shared interests." This year’s iteration of the biennial exercise marks a milestone 75th anniversary of the 1951 Bilateral Defense Agreement between Iceland and the United States. Running from August 22 to September 3, NV26 will challenge joint and coalition forces with a series of highly realistic training scenarios. Key training opportunities will focus on anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasure, expeditionary construction, search and rescue, humanitarian medical response, and disaster response. “Seventy-five years of bilateral defense cooperation is a testament to the unbreakable bond between the United States and Iceland,” said Vice Adm. J. T. Anderson, Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. “Northern Viking 2026 is a demonstration of our commitment to the collective defense of the North Atlantic. Together with our Allies, we continue to create an environment that allows interoperability among NATO maritime forces so that European Allies can take over primary responsibility for deterrence and defense in the European Theater.” Exercise Northern Viking 2026 is designed to strengthen interoperability and force readiness between the United States, Iceland, and other allied nations. The exercise enables critical multi-domain command and control of joint and coalition forces defending Iceland and safeguarding the sea lines of communication within the Greenland, Iceland, and United Kingdom (GIUK) gap. As a vital global shipping corridor, keeping the GIUK gap secure is imperative for transatlantic trade, commerce, and security between North America and Europe.