F-35A Conducts First Ever Road Runway Operations In Finland
Two F-35As of the Royal Norwegian Air Force conducted the F-35A’s first-ever road runway operations on Thursday, during the Baana 23 dispersed operations exercise in Finland. This marks the first time that the conventional landing-and-takeoff version of the F-35 has conducted road runway operations.
Following a training mission with F/A-18 Hornets of the Finnish Air Force, the F-35s landed at a road base in Tervo municipality at 3PM local time. The F-35s then conducted a “hot-pit” refueling with their engines still running, after which they departed for a new mission. While the Norwegian F-35s are equipped with brake parachutes to shorten landing distances in severe cold, photographs show that they were not used.
Finnish Air Force Commander Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen said that the Norwegian F-35As operating out of the road base verifies that the F-35 is suitable for the Air Force’s dispersed operations concept.
Royal Norwegian Air Force chief Major General Rolf Folland described the refueling as a milestone not only for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, but also for the Nordic countries and for NATO, demonstrating an “exciting development” in Nordic air force cooperation. He added that Finland’s straight and wide motorways allowed the RNoAF to further develop its dispersed operations concept for times of conflict.
“The aim of the dispersion concept is to make it more challenging for an enemy to take out our aircraft when they have to be on the ground. If such a concept is to work, we must map out all possibilities, and practice them”, said General Folland.
The refueling follows the first-ever road runway and refueling exercise by a Royal Air Force Typhoon of the 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron, which took place a day before at the Tervo road base, again as part of Baana 23.
The annual training exercise started on Monday and is scheduled to end on Friday, with flight operations conducted from Tuesday. In addition to the F-35s and Typhoon, Finnish Hornets have also used the Tervo road base for the exercise.