Iceland supports NATO aircraft and surveillance at the seam between the northern carrier battle and the convoy routes. Keflavik's runways, sensors, fuel farms, and patrol aircraft threaten Soviet boats trying to pass into the Atlantic. The same massed missile force often imagined attacking carriers could instead suppress this fixed target. Destroying infrastructure is easier than occupying and defending the island, yet it could still sharply reduce pressure on Soviet submarines even if no Soviet troops ever landed.
Notable Point · 2:12:29-2:13:32
A Soviet missile strike could neutralize Iceland without occupying it
Destroying Icelandic runways, sensors, and fuel facilities could open the Atlantic approach without the risks of an invasion.