Military branches: no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 71,157 (2003 est.) Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 62,552 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $0
Military - note: defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Indeed it is true. No army in Iceland. In fact, Iceland does not have it's own military at all. The only military is the US Air Force which has a base in Iceland, though I think it's leaving... eventually.
That is true. We don't - we've never had an army. Our coastguard is first rate, as is our mountain rescue workers, and other such miscellany that the army usually takes care of in other countries, but... yeah. No army of our own.
However, there is the Keflavík airbase. I don't know the statistics, but there are four F-16 jets there, enough staff to keep them operational, and some extra staff working in navigation and stuff like that. Those come from the American army. Right now, the Americans want to pull the jets and keep the base as a sort of low profile thing. The Icelandic goverment isn't happy about that, but I am - I reckon they should've left AGES ago.
Obviously, if the Americans leave, we'll be "defenseless", which is why they've stayed here so long. However, Iceland has already proved that a diplomatic conflict can be solved without any shots being fired. (That diplomatic conflict was with the British Empire, and we won it.) I don't think we need the American army to be an independent nation. In fact, I think we'll be better off without them.
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-11 02:06 pm (UTC)Military branches:
no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 71,157 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 62,552 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$0
Military - note:
defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Source: CIA World Fact Book
no subject
Date: 2004-06-11 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-11 04:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-11 05:22 pm (UTC)However, there is the Keflavík airbase. I don't know the statistics, but there are four F-16 jets there, enough staff to keep them operational, and some extra staff working in navigation and stuff like that. Those come from the American army. Right now, the Americans want to pull the jets and keep the base as a sort of low profile thing. The Icelandic goverment isn't happy about that, but I am - I reckon they should've left AGES ago.
Obviously, if the Americans leave, we'll be "defenseless", which is why they've stayed here so long. However, Iceland has already proved that a diplomatic conflict can be solved without any shots being fired. (That diplomatic conflict was with the British Empire, and we won it.) I don't think we need the American army to be an independent nation. In fact, I think we'll be better off without them.