For the first time since Finland joined NATO, Eurofighter jets from the alliance have flown in the northern part of the Scandinavian country, near the border with Russia.
German media outlet Bild reports, citing the German Air Force, that during a military exercise, three jets from Germany’s Tactical Air Squadron 71 landed and took off from a road near the village of Hosio, approximately 120 miles from Finland’s border with Russia. After refueling, they took off again and returned to the Rovaniemi Air Base,” a German Air Force spokesperson told the media, referring to the Lapland Air Command headquarters.
Given the proximity to the border, Bild journalist Julian Röpke suggested that Russian radars might have closely monitored the exercises, according to A2.
Additionally, on September 4, two F-35 Lightning II jets from the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, stationed at Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, also landed on a Finnish highway near Hosio during the “BAANA 2024” exercise, reports ‘The Aviationist.’
The Finnish Air Force posted videos on the platform ‘X,’ showing a jet on the road. Landing on a highway is a new capability that now puts these European fighters on par with F-35s, Gripens, and F/A-18s, A2 reports.
A Eurofighter first landed on a Finnish road on September 4 during Baana, and this move is seen as a significant tactical advantage, especially considering that air bases are primary targets during conflicts. This means NATO jets can be deployed in many wide areas, making them harder to detect and destroy, thus increasing the chances of air superiority even if major air bases are at risk.
After decades of non-engagement with NATO, Finland angered Moscow when it joined the alliance in 2023, driven by regional security concerns posed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.
Helsinki has accused Moscow of deliberately inciting a migrant crisis by sending asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East to the border, in a “hybrid warfare” tactic, while Russia has denied these claims.
