For the first time, US F-35s landed on a highway during the Finnish highway exercise BAANA 2024. On September 4, 2024, two F-35s Lightning II aircraft from the 48th Fighter Wing, stationed at the Royal Air Force base in Lakenheath, UK, made a historic and “austere” landing on a highway in Finland as part of the international exercise BAANA 2024 (NATO exercise name: “Imminent Field”).
The Norvatie highway runway in Rovaniemi and the Hosio highway runway in Ranua, Finland, served as landing strips during the BAANA 2024 exercise, an annual event led by Finland that takes place outside of major operational bases to increase expeditionary capabilities for operations in dispersed and remote areas away from traditional military airports. Germany also participated in this edition, held from August 31 to September 6, 2024, with its Eurofighter Typhoons.
The “austere” landing of the US F-35s on a highway demonstrates NATO’s growing ability to conduct operations within the framework of the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept and promotes closer integration among allied forces. The United States had previously landed some of its F-35Bs on highways, but this involves the STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) version, capable of vertical landings on aircraft carriers and roads.
“The first successful landing of our fifth-generation F-35 on a highway in Europe is a testament to the growing relationship and close interoperability we have with our Finnish allies“, said General James Hecker, Commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).
“The opportunity to learn from our Finnish counterparts improves our ability to deploy and employ air power quickly from unconventional locations, reflecting the collective readiness and agility of our forces“, added General Hecker.
Since Finland joined NATO in 2023, the northern European nation has offered significant learning opportunities to US aviators. Among the most recent activities, the Finnish Air Force was one of nine international air forces that participated in the “1 VS 1” air superiority exercise held in June at Ramstein Air Base. During that event, fighter jets and pilots from nine nations participated in a series of air combat simulations.
Other Western countries have recently conducted similar maneuvers to train their pilots for the challenges of these “expeditionary” operations. As noted, Finland regularly performs landings and takeoffs on highways, and in September 2023, Norwegian F-35s, alongside British Typhoons, joined Finnish F-18s during the BAANA 23 highway exercise. Switzerland also organized the “Alpha One” exercise this year, with F-18s landing on the A1 highway in the Canton of Vaud after more than 30 years.
The Polish Air Force also conducted takeoffs and landings of its aircraft on a section of a public highway during the Route 604 exercise in September last year. In Poland, this was the first military exercise of its kind in 20 years, providing an opportunity to refine the capabilities and resilience of Polish flight crews. In Italy, both the Air Force and Navy are testing new “expeditionary” concepts with their new F-35Bs, as seen in Pantelleria during a joint forces exercise in 2022.