US Air Force F-35s Make Historic First on Highway in Finland

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) --  

Two U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, executed a historic, austere landing on a pre-designated highway in Finland Sept. 4, during exercise BAANA 2024. 

The austere landing demonstrates advancements in the NATO alliance’s ability to perform operations under the U.S. Air Force’s agile combat employment concept and promotes closer integration among allied forces.  

“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,” said Gen. James Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. “The opportunity to learn from our Finnish counterparts improves our ability to rapidly deploy and employ airpower from unconventional locations and reflects the collective readiness and the agility of our forces.”  

Since Finland’s accession to NATO in 2023, it has provided U.S. Airmen with significant opportunities to learn from Finnish counterparts. Among the most recent activities, the Finnish Air Force was among nine national air forces to participate in the 1v1 air superiority exercise held in June at Ramstein. During that event, fighter aircraft and pilots from the nine nations participated in a series of aerial combat simulations.