The Icelandic Coast Guard is the Icelandic defence service responsible for search and rescue, maritime safety and security surveillance, national defense, and law enforcement. The Coast Guard maintains the Iceland Air Defence System which conducts ground-based surveillance of Iceland's air space and operate Keflavik airbase. It is also responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting.
From left to right: Captain of Þór Cdr. s.g. Sigurður Steinar Ketilsson, Director of the Icelandic Coast Guard R.Adm. Georg Kr. Lárusson, former President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and former Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson (2011)
The Chilean built ICGV Þór patrol boat
A Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma during Search and rescue demonstration
Iceland's defence forces consist of the Icelandic Coast Guard, which patrols Icelandic waters and monitors its airspace, and other services such as the National Commissioner's National Security and Special Forces Units. Iceland maintains no standing army, the only NATO member for which this is the case.
Icelandic Flagship ICGV Þór, 27 October 2011, Reykjavík
An illustration of Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, and Skúli Bárðarson from Flateyjarbók
Icelandic Coast Guard vessels. Týr in the center.
