Norwegian F-35 jets land on Finnish road for First Time

Two Norwegian F-35As touched down on a motorway in Tervo, Finland on September 21 at approximately 04:00 PM local time.

Marking the first instance of a Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jet making a landing on a highway.

“This is a milestone, not only for the Norwegian Air Force, but also for the Nordic countries and for NATO. This demonstrates our ability to execute a concept of dispersal. Fighter jets are vulnerable on the ground, so being able to use small airfields – and now motorways – increases our survivability in war. In addition, this is also a demonstration of the exciting development we have initiated within the military-air cooperation in the Nordic region,” stated Major General Rolf Folland, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

While the US has previously conducted highway landings with its F-35Bs, those were STOVL versions (short takeoff/vertical landing) capable of near-vertical landings, distinguishing them from the F-35As involved in this recent event.

Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen, the Commander of the Finnish Air Force, emphasised the compatibility of the F-35 with Finnish operational methods, asserting, “F-35As operating out of Tervo road base verifies that the F-35 is suitable for the Finnish Air Force’s dispersed operations combat method.”

The significance of the Arctic region in terms of strategic maritime routes, resource access, and territorial claims makes it a priority for NATO. “With Finland’s entry into NATO and Sweden’s imminent membership, the Nordic countries have a particular responsibility for developing and coordinating NATO’s deterrence in the northern regions,” commented Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.