Patterson Field

The closure of the U.S. naval base was a strategic decision driven by the geopolitical changes following the end of the Cold War. The U.S. Department of Defense conducted a global force posture review, and with the diminished threat from the Soviet Union in the North Atlantic, a large, permanently-staffed base in Iceland was deemed no longer necessary. The closure was part of a broader realignment of U.S. military assets worldwide.

The airfield is fully operational as Keflavik International Airport (ICAO: BIKF, IATA: KEF), the primary international gateway to Iceland. The extensive facilities of the former military base have been redeveloped into a civilian community and business hub called Ásbrú Enterprise Park. This park houses a university (Keilir Academy), numerous data centers (leveraging Iceland's cool climate and geothermal energy), technology startups, and residential housing. The Icelandic Coast Guard also operates an air station from the site, and NATO allies, including the U.S., continue to use the airfield for periodic deployments, such as the Icelandic Air Policing mission.

Patterson Field was constructed by the U.S. Army during World War II and became operational in 1943. It was named for 1st Lt. George S. Patterson, a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot who died in a crash in Iceland in 1941. During the war, the airfield was a vital strategic asset for several reasons: it served as a crucial stop on the North Atlantic air ferry route for aircraft being flown to the European theater; it was a base for long-range bombers and patrol aircraft conducting anti-submarine warfare against German U-boats in the GIUK gap (Greenland-Iceland-UK); and it provided air defense for Iceland. After being reactivated in 1951 as Naval Air Station Keflavik, it became a cornerstone of NATO's Cold War defense strategy, hosting U.S. Navy P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft and U.S. Air Force fighter-interceptor squadrons to monitor Soviet naval and air movements in the North Atlantic.

There are no plans to reopen a permanent, large-scale U.S. military base like the one that existed during the Cold War. However, due to a changing security environment in Europe, the strategic importance of the location has been re-emphasized. The U.S. and Iceland have a standing defense agreement, and the U.S. has invested in upgrading facilities at Keflavik, such as aircraft hangars, to better support rotational deployments of modern assets like the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The site is actively used as a forward operating location for U.S. and other NATO forces, so while it is not 'reopened' as a permanent base, its military use is ongoing and has seen a resurgence.