Dramatic video shows Finnish fighter jets taking off from motorways
Dramatic video footage released by the Finnish Air Force shows F/A-18 Hornets taking off from a motorway as part of its training for operating in Arctic conditions.
The new Nato member is holding its main military drill for this year, involving about 40 aircraft and 3,800 airmen as it seeks to “develop the readiness and capabilities of the Air Force”.
Finland, which sought membership of Nato following Russia’s land, air and sea invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022 and joined the alliance last April, has named this year’s military exercise Hanki 24.
Incredible pictures shared by the Finnish Air Force on X, formerly known as Twitter, show the fighter jets on a highway, which was closed to traffic during the training.
A total of 30 F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters are being tested, as well as Hawk jet trainers and transport and liaison aircraft.
“The objective of the exercise is to develop the readiness and capabilities of the Air Force,” said the director of the exercise, Brigadier General Timo Herranen, Chief of Staff, Air Force Command Finland.
“We will train base operations and the implementation of large-force air operations from dispersed locations.
“One of the most important training goals is to give our reservists practice, in winter conditions, of tasks laid down in the Air Force operational concept.”
The air force told i the drill happens annually, usually in the autumn. “This year, our focus is on training our reservists in arctic winter conditions, so we decided to organise the main exercise already in February,” a spokesperson said.
“The annual exercises are routine, but also very important for maintaining and developing the readiness of the Air Force. In Finland, we have trained operating fighter jets from dispersed locations, including highway strips, regularly and non-stop since the Cold War.”
The main air bases for the drill, which started on Monday and ends on Saturday, are Tikkakoski in Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi, but airfields across the country will be used to practise agile combat employment.
Highway 4 in Tikkakoski and road 9523 (Norvatie) in Rovaniemi have both been closed while the drill is under way.
Finland officially joined Nato in April last year, doubling Russia’s border with the alliance.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (832-mile) border with Russia, cast aside its long-held policy of military non-alignment in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to join Nato in an effort to secure itself against potential Russian aggression.
Under Nato’s iron-clad security pact, an attack on one member state is treated as an attack on all – meaning that any Russian encroachment on Finnish territory will now provoke a military response from 30 nations including the US, UK, France and Germany.
Nato is also a key goal for Ukraine.