Icelandic Coast Guard

Icelandic Coast Guard
Landhelgisgæsla Íslands
Icelandic Coast Guard insignia
Icelandic Coast Guard insignia
Racing stripe
Racing stripe
Ensign and roundel
Ensign and roundel
Common nameGæslan (The Guard)
AbbreviationLHG
MottoVið erum til taks
Always Prepared
Agency overview
Formed1 July 1926
Employees200 officers
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionIceland
Constituting instrument
  • Icelandic Coast Guard Act[1]
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Coastal patrol, marine border protection, marine search and rescue.
Operational structure
Agency executives
  • RADM Georg Kr. Lárusson, General Director
  • CDRE Ásgrímur L. Ásgrímsson, Chief of Operations
  • CAPT Auðunn F Kristinsson, Chief of Maritime Division
  • CDR sg Bjarni Á. Sigurðsson, Chief of Aeronautical Division
  • CAPT Jón B Guðnason, Chief of Defence Division
Facilities
Boats2 x Patrol vessels
2 x Patrol/survey boat
Patrol aircraft1 Bombardier DHC-8-Q314
Transport aircraft3 Airbus H225s
Notables
Significant operation
Website
lhg.is

The Icelandic Coast Guard (Icelandic: Landhelgisgæsla Íslands, Landhelgisgæslan or simply Gæslan) is the Icelandic defence service responsible for search and rescue, maritime safety and security surveillance, national defense,[2] and law enforcement.[3] The Coast Guard maintains the Iceland Air Defence System which conducts ground-based surveillance of Iceland's air space and operate the Keflavik airbase.[4][5] It is also responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting.[6]

  1. ^ Lög um Landhelgisgæslu Íslands [Act on Icelandic Coast Guard] (52). Legislative Assembly. 14 June 2006.
  2. ^ "Security and Defense". lhg.is. Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Welcome to the Icelandic Coast Guard". Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Security and Defence". Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  5. ^ HQ AIRCOM Public Affairs. "Iceland's Role In Nato Integrated Air And Missile Defence System". Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Hydrographic surveying and nautical charting". Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 24 November 2021.