US Fighter Jets Patrol Northwest Iceland Today

Residents of the Westfjörds will have to exercise some patience today, as US fighter jets will be flying loudly in the skies overhead, RÚV reports.

Air exercises will be conducted over Hnífsdal and Bolungarvík, as a part of NATO exercises. Iceland, having no military of its own, regularly allows other countries to patrol its airspace.

The Icelandic Coast Guard says that due to the presence of rescue helicopters in the area, the jets will not be flying as far from land as usual, for security reasons.

13 fighter jets in all are taking part in these exercises, which are scheduled to conclude on August 23. Some 300 air force personnel will be participating, in addition to employees of the NATO base in Uedem, Germany.