U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets take part in Finnish Baana24 exercise underway in Finland.
On Sept. 4, 2024, two F-35A jets belonging to the 495th Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing operated out of a road strip in Finland for the first time. The two Lightning II aircraft took part in Banaa, the yearly dispersed operations drills of the Finnish Air Force.
Stronger together! 🇫🇮🇺🇸
The United States Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II fighter jets landed a moment ago for the first time at a Finnish highway strip in Hosio, Ranua in the #Baana24 exercise.#ilmavoimat #ImminentField24 @Laplsto @HQUSAFEAFAF@NATO_AIRCOM pic.twitter.com/Gv3YROw2tV
— Ilmavoimat (@FinnishAirForce) September 4, 2024
The landing on Hosio Highway Strip, Ranua, Finland, marked the first time in history a U.S. fighter aircraft operated on a Finnish highway strip. During the exercise U.S. Air Force Airmen expanded on Agile Combat Employment capabilities by learning austere environment aircraft landing and take-off operations and techniques from their Finnish counterparts.
On the very same day, German Eurofighter aircraft also took part in Banaa24, landing for the first time on the Hosio highway strip in Ranua, Laplan.
Willkommen in Finnland! 🇫🇮🇩🇪
Also #NATO Allies take part in the #Baana24 exercise. Today, the German Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon jets operated for the first time from the Hosio highway strip in Ranua.#ilmavoimat #ImminentField24 @Laplsto @Team_Luftwaffe @NATO_AIRCOM pic.twitter.com/8g2hq2dZay
— Ilmavoimat (@FinnishAirForce) September 4, 2024
The U.S. F-35A participation in the Finnish Baana24 drills comes approximately one year after two F-35As of the RNoAF (Royal Norwegian Air Force) operated out of a road strip in Finland for the first time: on Sept. 21, 2023, the two Lightning II aircraft landed on a road near Tervo, in the province of Eastern Finland, as part of the Baana23 dispersed operations exercise.
The landing on the Finnish motorway by the RNoAF F-35As last year marked the first time a CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing) variant of the Lightning II carried out highway operations. Notably, the Norwegian F-35s featured the distinctive fairing on the upper rear fuselage between the vertical tails, which houses the aircraft’s drag chute. The F-35s did not deploy this chute that it’s designed for operations in Arctic conditions, allowing the aircraft to decelerate quickly on icy runways under windy circumstances. Currently, only Norwegian F-35s are equipped with this drag chute pod.
Baana exercise series
Baana, known in NATO as “Imminent Field,” is the Finnish Air Force’s annual exercise focused on road base operations. According to the Finnish Air Force, the exercise is part of Finland’s strategy to maintain readiness by dispersing aircraft across various locations outside main bases, enhancing operational flexibility. During Baana 24, flight operations will run from Sept. 2 to 5, with a backup day on September 6. Activities will include take-offs and landings on highway strips by F/A-18 Hornets, Hawk trainers, and support aircraft, with participation from U.S. and German forces.
The Lapland Air Wing will practice from both highway strips and the main base in Rovaniemi, demonstrating Finland’s defense capabilities to allies while enhancing readiness. According to Exercise Director Colonel Saku Joukas, this exercise is crucial for demonstrating Finland’s preparedness and sharing expertise with international partners.
Highway operations
After World War II and throughout the Cold War, several countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, adopted the concept of highway strips—designated sections of highways or public roads that could be used as runways. This approach aimed to address the vulnerability of airbases, whose locations were well-known and would likely be targeted early in any conflict. Highway operations were standard in Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe during the Cold War, though they became less common after the Warsaw Pact’s collapse.
In the last decade, there has been a resurgence in training for dispersed operations, including highway landings, as seen with Finnish, Swedish, Swiss and U.S. drills. More recently, the war in Ukraine has shown how airfields, even those located quite far from the battlefront, can be vulnerable to attacks conducted with drones.
Dispersed airfield operations and highway landings are becoming increasingly important for modern air forces because they enhance the survivability and operational flexibility of aircraft in conflict scenarios. By dispersing aircraft across multiple locations, including highways and smaller, less predictable airstrips, forces can reduce their vulnerability to attacks on main bases, complicate enemy targeting, and maintain air operations even if primary airfields are compromised.
This strategy supports rapid redeployment and continuity of missions, making it harder for adversaries to neutralize air assets effectively. Additionally, it demonstrates adaptability and resilience in dynamic and high-threat environments.
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
