Given the new perspectives on potential conflicts and the search for new capabilities, on September 4th, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) confirmed that it took a significant step forward in this direction by landing stealthy F-35A fighters on a previously designated highway in Finland to conduct operations in austere and unprepared conditions during Exercise BAANA 2024.
In the official statement from the U.S. Air Force, the stealth fighters, currently assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing of the Royal Air Force Lakenheath (UK), were used to conduct operations under the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept to expand and learn techniques for landing and taking off aircraft in such austere operational environments.
This type of landing, already tested previously among Nordic countries, aims to demonstrate the advancements in capabilities that NATO allies possess in response to an increasingly challenging regional context and modern threats.
A notable milestone was achieved in September 2023 when F-35A aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force successfully landed on a highway in Tervo, Finland. This marked the first time a CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing) variant of the Lightning II conducted operations on a roadway.
During the same period, Eurofighter Typhoon fighters from the Royal Air Force (RAF), along with Norwegian F-35As, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets, and Swedish Gripen aircraft, performed takeoffs and landings from Scandinavian roads in both day and night conditions, simulating combat conditions as closely as possible and maintaining austere operational conditions for the aircraft.
“The success of the first 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 U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.
The Baana exercise, known to NATO as “Imminent Field,” is an annual training event for the Finnish Air Force focused on operations from highway bases. Its goal is to enhance readiness through the dispersal of aircraft to alternative locations. Baana 24 will take place from September 2 to 5, with an extra reserve day on the 6th. It includes takeoffs and landings of F/A-18 Hornets, Hawk trainers, and support aircraft, with participation from U.S. and German forces. Additionally, Finland will demonstrate its defense capability from the Rovaniemi base.
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