NAVAL AIR STATION KEFLAVIK, Iceland (AFNS) -- The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 4 successfully led the award of three contracts recently, totaling $38 million to improve airfield infrastructure at Naval Air Station Keflavik.
The projects, supporting the European Deterrence Initiative, or EDI, implemented by the U.S. European Command, intends to increase the responsiveness and readiness of U.S. Air Forces, NATO member-state forces and allies in Europe.
The undertaking is a partnership between the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Det. 4, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central, the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Icelandic Airport & Air Navigation Authority.
Det. 4, the design and construction manager, will conduct the project with support from NAVFAC EURACENT. The work, executed by Iceland Prime Contractors, includes three major initiatives: expansion of the parking aprons, beddown site preparation to support personnel in an expeditionary environment and upgrading the airfield’s hazardous cargo pad for the loading and unloading of explosives.
AFCEC’s Facility Engineering Directorate, which oversees the Air Force military construction program, will monitor construction execution to ensure the project stays on time and within budget to deliver a resilient infrastructure solution.
“The Air Force depends on the technical expertise of the professionals from AFCEC and Det. 4 to deliver mission-ready infrastructure,” said Col. David Norton, director of AFCEC’s Facility Engineering Directorate. “We are upgrading infrastructure at Naval Air Station Keflavik to provide a high level of readiness for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. We have incorporated innovative design and construction techniques to build resilient facilities to ensure the longest lifespan at the overall lowest life cycle cost.”
The EDI includes military exercises and training while sustaining a rotational presence of U.S. forces throughout Europe. For Iceland, a NATO member state and host to deployed U.S. forces, improved infrastructure will support NATO air surveillance missions and the collective defense and military activities in this crucial North Atlantic location.
“It’s been very rewarding to be involved in not just one but three projects from inception. And now to successfully execute these military construction projects concurrently, in the program year as well as partner with our NATO allies such as Iceland to achieve a common goal, we look forward to continued success throughout construction and maintaining a close working relationship for years to come,” said Darren Walls, program manager with Det. 4's Design and Construction Branch.
Construction of all projects is expected to be complete in April 2023.