An Army of None: Iceland’s Choice to Be Military‑Free

Along the way, it has earned a reputation as one of the world’s safest, most pacifist countries. Below, we explore why Iceland has no military, the history behind this decision, how the nation ensures its security, and some intriguing facts about this military-free island.

Historical Roots: Independence Without an Army

When Iceland gained full independence from Denmark in 1944, it notably did not create a national army. At the time, the nation had only about 140,000 people and very limited funds. For such a small population, maintaining an armed forces would have been impractical and expensive. Instead, Iceland’s early leaders hoped neutrality could protect the country, leaning on diplomacy rather than soldiers. In fact, Iceland had not had any standing military since the 19th century – the last local militia, a small defense force in the Vestmannaeyjar islands, ceased to exist in 1869. This long absence of an army helped foster what some call a pacifist tradition in Icelandic society.

However, the tumult of World War II quickly tested Iceland’s no-military policy. Iceland declared neutrality, but its strategic location made it a target of world powers. In May 1940, British forces invaded Iceland (over the protests of the Icelandic government) to preempt a possible Nazi occupation. A year later, the United States took over the defense of Iceland from the British, stationing troops to guard the island for the rest of the war. These events showed that neutrality alone might not shield Iceland. Yet even then, Iceland did not form its own army – apart from a hastily trained 60-man defense force made up of policemen (which was rendered moot by the Allied occupation). The pattern was set: Iceland would remain without a military of its own, even in a world at war.

Joining NATO and Embracing Alliances

After WWII, Iceland faced a crucial choice: remain neutral with no military, or align with Western powers for protection. In 1949, Iceland decided to join the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – becoming the only founding NATO member with no standing army. This decision was highly controversial at the time. On March 30, 1949, when the Alþingi (parliament) voted to join NATO, thousands of Icelanders rioted in the streets of Reykjavík. Protesters saw NATO membership as a break from neutrality and worried it would “remilitarize” the country by hosting foreign troops. Police ultimately used tear gas to disperse the crowds – the first time such force was used in Iceland – but the parliament’s decision stood. The slogan “Ísland úr NATO, herinn burt!” (“Iceland out of NATO, and the army out!”) became a rallying cry for critics who wanted no foreign army stationed on Icelandic soil.

Despite the uproar, NATO membership offered Iceland a practical solution: collective defense guarantees without having to build a national military. In 1951, Iceland signed a bilateral defense agreement with the United States, solidifying an arrangement where American and NATO forces would take responsibility for Iceland’s defense. In effect, Iceland traded the costs of maintaining an army for the promise of allied protection. During the Cold War, this meant Iceland hosted significant NATO military assets. A large U.S. military presence was established at Keflavík Air Base in southwest Iceland, with thousands of personnel stationed there for decades. These forces guarded the crucial GIUK gap (Greenland–Iceland–UK passage) in the North Atlantic, a strategic chokepoint for naval and air traffic between North America and Europe. Iceland’s geography – “a slab of rock parked right between North America and Europe” as one writer puts it – made it an ideal early warning outpost during the Cold War. NATO radar stations and patrol aircraft in Iceland watched for Soviet submarines and bombers, effectively turning Iceland’s location into its defense contribution.

Throughout this period, Iceland’s own role in NATO remained unique but valuable. Lacking an army, Iceland contributed in other ways: it allowed NATO to station troops and aircraft on its soil and even volunteered its small Coast Guard for certain cooperative tasks. Iceland also helped diplomatically and participated in peacekeeping missions abroad by sending personnel from its Crisis Response Unit to places like the Balkans and Afghanistan. In short, Iceland proved that a country without soldiers could still be a “valuable member” of an alliance like NATO by sharing “values of unity, democracy and freedom” and offering strategic territory and support‍.

Defending the Homeland Without a Military

How does Iceland handle day-to-day defense and security with no army? The answer is a patchwork of domestic agencies and international help. For local defense and law enforcement, Iceland relies on a well-equipped Coast Guard and police forces in lieu of a traditional military. The Icelandic Coast Guard, founded in 1926, is the closest thing Iceland has to a navy or army. It operates patrol ships, rescue helicopters, and surveillance aircraft to monitor and defend Iceland’s vast maritime exclusive economic zone (which extends 200 nautical miles from its coast). During the Cod Wars – a series of confrontations with the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1970s over fishing rights – it was the Coast Guard that took the lead in “defending” Iceland’s interests. These skirmishes saw Icelandic patrol vessels cutting British trawlers’ nets and even ramming into Royal Navy frigates to assert Iceland’s expanded fishing zone. Notably, the Cod Wars never escalated into full military conflict; there were no declarations of war (in fact, Iceland’s constitution has no mechanism to declare war at all), and casualties were avoided. Yet the Coast Guard’s actions showed that Iceland could stand its ground on critical issues without an army, using small patrol ships and sheer determination to enforce its claims.

On land, national policing units fill roles that militaries might handle elsewhere. Iceland’s police force includes an elite tactical unit called the “Viking Squad” (Víkingasveitin), analogous to a SWAT team or special forces. This armed police unit handles crises such as counter-terrorism and hostage situations. In the absence of an army, the Viking Squad and regular police are trained to respond to internal security threats, albeit such events are exceedingly rare in peaceful Iceland. Additionally, Iceland maintains a small peacekeeping force known as the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit. While not an army, this unit consists of volunteers (often former police or coast guard) who receive basic military training and serve abroad on international missions (for example, Icelandic peacekeepers have served in Afghanistan and Kosovo alongside NATO allies). These personnel wear uniforms and carry arms during deployments, but they number only a few hundred and have no heavy weaponry – their role is strictly peacekeeping and civil support, reflecting Iceland’s commitment to international stability without militarization.

Air defense is another area managed creatively. Iceland has no air force, yet its skies are not unprotected. Since 2008, NATO has conducted regular air-policing rotations in Iceland, wherein allies send fighter jets (from countries like the U.S., Canada, or Norway) for temporary deployments at Keflavík airport. These NATO jets handle Iceland’s air surveillance and can intercept any unidentified aircraft in the area. Meanwhile, Iceland operates an integrated radar and Air Defense System that feeds into NATO’s networks. In this way, Iceland’s airspace is secured through alliance cooperation. Should any genuine threat approach Iceland (for instance, a foreign military aircraft straying near), NATO jets are on-call to scramble from Icelandic soil – essentially borrowing others’ air forces when needed. This arrangement allows Iceland to remain safe without bearing the expense of fighter planes and pilots year-round.

Finally, it’s worth noting that since 2006 there have been no foreign combat troops permanently based in Iceland. The U.S. military withdrew its last units from Keflavík in September 2006, ending a continuous presence that had lasted since the 1950s. (In recent years, with rising geopolitical tensions in the Arctic, the U.S. has occasionally returned for short stints – upgrading infrastructure and conducting exercises – but there is no permanent base.) The Keflavík facilities now remain Iceland’s to use for civil aviation and hosting the periodic NATO deployments. So, on any given day, Iceland has zero foreign troops stationed and still maintains zero national army troops – a remarkable fact for a nation of its size and location.

A Peaceful Society and Public Opinion

Iceland’s lack of a military is not only a strategic or economic choice; it’s also deeply rooted in the nation’s values and public opinion. Icelanders often express pride that their country lives in peace without armed forces. This stance is reflected in the country’s domestic policies and statistics. For example, there is strong resistance to militarization of any kind – even Iceland’s police are generally unarmed in daily duties, and proposals to arm them more heavily are met with fierce opposition. The overall crime rate in Iceland is extremely low, and the nation regularly ranks at the very top of global peace and safety indexes. In fact, Iceland has been rated the “most peaceful country” in the world every year since 2008. In 2022, for instance, it was again #1 on the Global Peace Index, a position it has held for well over a decade. Such accolades are a point of national pride – reinforcing the idea that not having a military has not made Iceland less secure, but arguably more secure and stable.

Public opinion surveys consistently show that the majority of Icelanders want to remain without a military. One poll found roughly 72% of citizens oppose creating an army, with only a small minority (about 14%) in favor. The memory of the 1949 NATO protests and the slogan “herinn burt!” still echoes in our times; while today NATO membership is broadly accepted, Icelanders still prefer to keep the “army” out. Political parties on the left have periodically called for re-evaluating Iceland’s NATO membership or at least ensuring no foreign bases return. Even some of Iceland’s top leaders reflect this ambivalence. (The current prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, comes from a party historically skeptical of NATO. Yet, in office she has maintained Iceland’s commitments to the alliance – a testament to how consensus on defense has evolved, balancing pacifist ideals with pragmatic cooperation.) Overall, the enduring consensus is that Iceland is safer and better off without its own military, provided its alliances remain strong.

Culturally, Iceland has embraced its identity as a peace-loving nation. The country has no military parades, no defense ministry, and military-related matters seldom intrude into daily life. Instead, Iceland directs resources that might have gone to an army into other areas like education, healthcare, and social welfare. As a result, it enjoys high standards of living and social development. One could say Iceland’s “defense budget” is effectively spent on the prosperity of its people. This echoes examples like Costa Rica (which famously abolished its army in 1949 to invest in education), showing how peace and progress often go hand-in-hand.

Iceland in Context: Other Countries Without Armies

Iceland is one of the very few countries in the world today with no standing military. While its situation is unique (especially as a NATO member), it’s not entirely alone. Here are a few other nations that, like Iceland, maintain no national army:

• Costa Rica – Abolished its military in 1949 after a civil war, writing the ban into its constitution. The government redirected military expenditures to schools, hospitals, and social programs, and Costa Rica relies on a well-trained police force for internal security. The country enjoys relative stability and is often cited alongside Iceland in peace rankings.
• Liechtenstein – This tiny European principality dissolved its army in 1868 due to cost constraints after the Austro-Prussian War. Ever since, Liechtenstein has had no military; it relies on Switzerland for defense if needed and maintains only a police force.
• Monaco – The microstate of Monaco has no army; France guarantees its defense under a longstanding treaty. Monaco’s own forces consist only of a small palace guard and national police.
• Samoa – The Pacific island nation of Samoa also has no standing army. A treaty with New Zealand ensures Samoa’s external security, while local police handle internal law enforcement.
• Vatican City (Honorable mention) – The Vatican has no armed forces apart from the Swiss Guard (which is more of a personal security detail for the Pope). Defense of the Vatican City is the responsibility of Italy.

Each of these cases underscores a common theme: alliances and alternative security arrangements replace national militaries. In Iceland’s case, the country stands out for how it leverages NATO membership and a bilateral U.S. defense pact to stay secure‍, combined with strong domestic agencies like its Coast Guard. Notably, Iceland is the only NATO country with zero army troops, which is a remarkable distinction. This “outsourced” model of defense is rare, but as Iceland shows, it can work under the right circumstances – particularly for a nation that prizes peace and has trustworthy friends.

Fun Facts About Iceland’s No-Military Status

To wrap up, here are some intriguing fun facts and anecdotes about Iceland’s military-free stance:

• No War Clause: Iceland’s constitution has no provision to declare war. Since the country has never needed to formally go to war, its highest law doesn’t even imagine one – a symbolic indicator of Iceland’s peaceful outlook.
• Global Peace Leader: Iceland has topped the Global Peace Index every year since 2008, cementing its reputation as the world’s most peaceful nation. Living without an army certainly hasn’t hurt its safety – by many measures, Iceland is one of the safest countries on Earth.
• “Cod Wars” with No Casualties: During the Cod Wars (disputes with the U.K. over fishing), Iceland and Britain sparred aggressively at sea but never officially declared war and recorded no battle deaths. The clashes involved water cannons, net-cutting, and the occasional collision at sea – a far cry from conventional warfare, and often cited as one of the few “wars” with zero fatalities.
• Army? Call the Coast Guard: Lacking a navy or army, Iceland’s Coast Guard has taken on duties beyond typical coast guard scope. In addition to fishery patrols, they operate Iceland’s only armed vessels and even a small fleet of aircraft. One Coast Guard vessel, the Óðinn, was fitted with a cannon and famously dueled by ramming with British warships during the 1970s Cod War‍. Think of them as multi-tasking guardians of the nation – performing search-and-rescue one day and quasi-naval maneuvers the next.
• “Viking Squad” Police: Iceland’s toughest cops are nicknamed the Viking Squad, an elite unit trained to respond to high-risk situations. They carry firearms and tactical gear, but operate under the police, not a military. The Viking Squad’s existence shows that while Iceland has no army, it does maintain a capability for armed response to emergencies – just on a very small scale (and it’s arguably the coolest-named police unit in the world!).
• Public Contentment: Most Icelanders are perfectly happy without a military. Surveys show over two-thirds of citizens oppose establishing an army. The prevailing sentiment is pride that Iceland can remain secure without soldiers. As one local insight put it, “We’re a peace-loving nation and want to keep it so.” That ethos is ingrained in Iceland’s identity.

Iceland’s choice to forgo a military is a fascinating case of a nation that has crafted security through peace. By relying on international partnerships, a vigilant Coast Guard, and the goodwill of its people, Iceland has managed to thrive under an approach that many larger countries would find unthinkable. It underscores a powerful lesson: sometimes, the strength of a nation isn’t measured by the size of its army, but by the strength of its commitments to peace, cooperation, and the well-being of its citizens. Iceland may have no army, but it certainly isn’t defenseless – it’s defended by mutual trust at home and abroad, and by the principle that a country can choose harmony over militarization and still stand tall. Iceland’s experiment of “an army of none” continues to inspire those who dream of a more peaceful world.

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