In a historic first, two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets landed on a Finnish highway on September 4, 2024. This landmark event, part of NATO's BAANA 24 exercise, demonstrated the alliance's readiness to operate under extreme conditions and reflected a growing military partnership between the U.S. and Finland. The exercise occurred on the Hosio Highway Strip in Ranua, Finland, a strategic location designed to test NATO's ability to adapt to modern warfare's unpredictable nature.
This marks the first time fifth-generation American aircraft have performed such a landing in Europe. The aircraft, part of the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, participated in Finland's annual road base drill, which ran from September 2 through September 5, 2024. The exercise also included Finnish F/A-18 Hornet jets, Hawk jet trainers, and German Eurofighter Typhoons.
Five problems with America's F-35s
"Its mission capability rating sat at 69 per cent early in 2021, falling short of the 80 per cent benchmark set by the the U.S. military". #iran #israel #russia #airforce #ukraine #veteran #technology https://t.co/RnFgZ7cqLy. pic.twitter.com/aDumrqooBi
— Michael inTheCityPgh (@MichaelPghPA) April 12, 2024
The F-35s’ landing is part of a broader strategy known as Agile Combat Employment (ACE), aimed at dispersing aircraft operations across smaller, more austere locations like highways and temporary airfields. This concept is crucial for countering potential adversaries, such as China or Russia, who could target large, permanent bases with missile strikes in the event of war.
By spreading out its forces, the U.S. military aims to increase the number of potential targets an enemy would need to hit, thereby complicating an opponent’s plans.
The F-35A 👇
✐ Designed to operate from conventional runways
⚡ Speeds up to 1,200 mph
🌎 The most common variant operated by the United States Air Force and many international allied customers. pic.twitter.com/LkgzpED3eK
— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) June 29, 2024
Finland’s involvement in the exercise, which follows its formal accession to NATO in 2023, has provided significant opportunities for collaboration with the U.S. military. The country's history of using highways as emergency airstrips during military exercises made it an ideal location for such a test. Finnish fighter pilots regularly train in dispersed operations, turning highways into runways as part of their defense strategy.
As Finland replaces its aging F/A-18 fleet with 64 new F-35s over the next few years, these exercises are expected to further deepen NATO’s air interoperability.
General James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, hailed the event as a testament to the close ties between NATO allies. “The successful first-ever 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,” Hecker said, emphasizing the importance of rapid deployment and flexibility in unconventional locations.
This development comes at a time when military forces across Europe are reevaluating their operational strategies in light of Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine. Finland’s integration into NATO, spurred by Russia’s invasion, has strengthened the alliance’s northern flank and provided the U.S. with crucial opportunities to train alongside experienced Nordic air forces. Similar road-based exercises were held last year, involving Norwegian F-35s and British Eurofighter Typhoons.
