Norwegian F-35 lands on public road during training in Finland/Finnish Air Force
Public roads have always been potential landing pads for fighter jets. There are even countries that have made using them for such purposes part of national security, such as Sweden, which has built underground pens in tunnels near roads, and has been training its pilots to do so for years.
Last week it happened for the first time on a highway in Finland. The Finnish Air Force has already ordered F-35s but has not yet received them, and the honor of landing the first take-off from a public road to a Lockheed Martin stealth fighter was won by a pair of Norwegian F-35 pilots.
The planes landed, were inspected by technical crews, refueled and took off back to base, with a runway where they would not have to share cars.
Preparing for takeoff/Finnish Air Force
"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 implement a concept of dispersal," said Major General Rolf Polland, commander of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
"Therefore, the ability to use small airports – and now highways – increases our survivability in war. In addition, it is also a demonstration of the exciting development we have initiated within the framework of military-air cooperation in the Scandinavian region," says Polland.
It should be noted that the F-35 has a dedicated version that takes off and lands vertically and also one designed for short takeoffs and landings from aircraft carriers. But the Norwegians use the Model A of the aircraft, designed to take off and land from ordinary runways.
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Air F-16s in landing training on the coastal road/Air Force Bulletin
The Israeli Air Force has also operated several such landing pads on highways throughout the country, such as the coastal road near Haifa. It should also be noted that the Norwegian F-35 is equipped with a deceleration parachute for landing, which helps them use even shorter runways. The parachute is placed in a designated box installed in them on the production line and does not impair their stealth.
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