F-18s in the left lane: Finland on Friday announced the end of a multi-day military exercise during which its fighter jets chained takeoffs and landings on a country highway.
The Nordic country, in the process of joining NATO, organized an annual exercise this year on the main highway that links Helsinki with the north of the country, even if it means closing it for four days.
The E75 axis, cut along 4 kilometers near the town of Joutsa (center), saw a succession of takeoffs and landings in a landscape of autumn-colored forests, under the curious gaze of many neighbors.
Use of roads in wartime
One of the least densely populated countries in Europe and the most forested, Finland needs its pilots to know how to exploit a specific geography, including its roads in rural areas.
The objective was to train a new promotion of officers from the Nordic country, who want to be able to use these routes in time of war.
Equipped with US F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets made by Boeing, Finland announced in December an order of more than 8 billion euros for the F-35 from US-based Lockheed Martin. Other countries conduct these exercises, such as Sweden, whose Gripen fighter jet was designed to be able to land and take off in short stretches.
Source: BFM TV
