Iceland is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and most of its co-operation in the area of security and defence takes place through NATO. Today Iceland's participation in peace support and crisis management missions is undertaken by the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU). In 2005 around 25 personnel were at any given time deployed by the ICRU to UN missions, NATO operations, to the EU and other international organisations for crisis response operations, thereof 16 in Afghanistan.
In autumn 2005, Iceland contributed personnel for the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) operating in Northern and Western Afghanistan under the heading of ISAF. In relation to the Alliance's missions, Iceland's additional tasks have been in providing selected strategic airlift sorties in support of the Alliance's operations, which it will continually provide for. Currently, a media expert serves in the NATO Training Mission to Iraq (NTM-I). In 2006, Iceland also contributes a political advisor to the Senior Civilian Representative of NATO to Afghanistan.
From June 2004 until February 2005, Iceland took on similar responsibilities as the focal-point nation at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan (KAIA), within the command structure of the UN-mandated NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). From early 2006, Iceland again contributes to ISAF forces at KAIA by providing personnel for camp support.
Related to the support to ISAF, as well as to the reconstruction efforts of the Government of Afghanistan, Iceland provides further support to Kabul airport operations. At the request of Afghan authorities, Iceland produced in 2005 a plan for how to transition in three to four years the operation of Kabul International Airport from ISAF to Afghan civilian management. Subsequently, Iceland has provided expert advice and support to the Government of Afghanistan to assist in the implementation of the transition plan.
Iceland currently holds seven positions at Kabul Airport. The staff deployed to Kabul International Airport mainly work on overseeing maintenance, operations and support at the airport and the camp at Kabul International Airport. They deal with engineering, logistics, motor pool, billeting and overview of the manpower of the airport to name a few tasks.
Iceland has also deployed a development officer in the PRT in Chagcharan for some time, working on various projects and assisting local government in their reconstruction of the district
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