USAF marks a first in Finland as F-35A Lightning II jets come in to land on highway
Two F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the US Air Force's 493rd Fighter Squadron have made a successful landing on a main road in Finland.
The pilots successfully landed on a strip of the Hosio Highway just 30 metres wide as a part of BAANA24, a Finnish Air Force road base exercise.
This marks the first time that US fighter jets have landed on a road in Finland.
The exercise is part of Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a strategy designed to enhance survivability and adaptability by operating from unconventional locations.
"Landing on a highway is just a first step in how we will execute ACE," said Lieutenant Colonel Dustin Merritt, 493rd FS's director of operations.
"This is only going to make our connection and relationship moving forward stronger as we become more dynamic and confident alongside our Finnish counterparts."
The narrow highway landing strip posed a significant challenge, requiring pilots to precisely land and decelerate in an area only 30 metres wide.
This operation demonstrates how the F-35 can be used in difficult environments, reflecting its role in exercises that test real-world conditions.
With its three variants, the F-35 is designed to meet different operational needs.
Let's take a closer look at these variants and how they contribute to the aircraft's broad mission profile.
In US service, the F-35 is known as the Lightning II, following on from the Second World War-era Lockheed P-38 Lightning, while in UK service it's just called the Lightning.
There are three main variants of the F-35, - the A, B and C - with all British versions being the B.
F-35A: The conventional take-off and landing variant
The F-35A is the conventional variant used primarily by the US Air Force and allied nations. It is designed for operations from traditional runways and is equipped with an Electro-Optical Targeting System making it ideal for ground attack missions.
The fifth-generation fighter jet will replace the US Air Force’s ageing fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, which have been the USAF's primary fighter and close air support aircraft for more than 20 years.
F-35B: The short take-off/vertical landing variant
The F-35B Lightning is a multi-role aircraft, capable of conducting air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence-gathering and air-to-air missions simultaneously.
This is the variant used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.
The aircraft is capable of short take-off and vertical landing operations.
The F-35B allows for operations from amphibious assault ships and smaller carriers without the need for catapult systems.
Its lift-fan technology gives it unmatched flexibility for forward-deployed forces in contested or unpredictable environments.
By 2033, the UK is expected to have a full operating capacity of 74 of the of the fifth-generation fighter jets.
So far 33 have been received, with 48 expected to be delivered by the end of 2025.
F-35C: The carrier-based variant
The F-35C is built for the US Navy and is optimised for carrier operations.
With its larger wings and reinforced landing gear, the F-35C can handle the rigorous demands of launching and landing on aircraft carriers.
Its extended range and payload capacity make it a critical asset for naval air superiority and power projection at sea.
Know for its stealth performance, the aircraft enables pilots to evade enemy detection.
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