Civilian highway becomes runway for Finnish Hornets and Dutch Lightnings

A major Finnish highway has been closed to civilian traffic to allow fighter jets to land and take off as part of the Finnish Air Force's annual Baana 25 exercise.

A section of Highway 4 between the Puuppola and Vehniä interchanges was shut, with Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Dutch F-35A Lightning II jets using the road as a temporary runway.

The training takes place near the town of Tikkakoski, in central Finland, an area named after the Tikkakoski factory, which was a major producer of firearms and other defence equipment.

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The drill is designed to simulate wartime scenarios in which traditional air bases may be unavailable, damaged or under threat.

It marks the first time Dutch fifth-generation jets have landed on a road in Finland, and highlights growing cooperation between Nato allies following Finland's accession to the alliance in 2023.

Authorities have also issued a public safety warning during the exercise, advising people not to use binoculars or telescopes within a 20km radius of Jyväskylä-Tikkakoski Airport due to the risk of eye injuries from laser reflections used in air defence training, as reported by AeroTime.

The airport, which is home to the Finnish Air Force Academy, is being used to support the exercise.

The Finnish Air Force is flying a mix of F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters, Hawk trainers and liaison aircraft.

The Dutch have deployed F-35A Lightning IIs, the stealth aircraft designed for high-threat environments.

The F-35 fleet is set to replace the ageing F-16 aircraft. 

The F-35A is the most common and affordable of the three F-35 variants, designed for conventional takeoff and landing, hence its suitability for operations on Finnish highways. 

As reported by AeroTime, Baana 25 aligns with Nato's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, which aims to make air power more resilient in the face of missile or drone strikes.

But for Finland, the concept is nothing new – the country has trained for decades to operate from austere locations such as highways, forest clearings and reserve strips.

This year marked the second year for Finland's Baana exercise. Last year, Banna 24 saw US F-35As and German Eurofighters conduct highway landings in the country for the first time.