Eurofighters land on the highway: Bundeswehr fighter jets train for emergency situations

Maneuvers between pines, spruces and birches: Germans and Americans practice evading and attacking on the Finnish road network. Sweden is leading the way.

Ranua – “The opportunity to learn from our Finnish colleagues, to improve our ability to rapidly deploy air power from unconventional locations,” says James Hecker, the commanding general of the US Air Forces in Europe, reports in Defense Express About the fact that NATO fighter jets have now taken off and landed on a highway near Ranua in northern Finland – Vladimir Putin is forcing us, as the magazine unequivocally puts it: “to practice for future wars”. The Cold War is heating up again – China is also apparently contributing to this.

In addition to two F-35s from the 48th Fighter Squadron at the British Royal Air Force base Lakenheath, the exercise included a Finnish Hawk jet training aircraft and a German Eurofighter Typhoon. According to Defense Express The US Air Force fears that in the event of a war with an enemy with long-range weapons such as China, its military could destroy large American bases in countries such as Japan and Guam with rocket salvos or other attacks. The air force must therefore be able to get its aircraft into the air or back to safety from unusual runways.

Germany as a stopover: NATO aircraft should use motorways

In various NATO countries, roads were intended to be converted into runways: During the Cold War, Germany, as a NATO member, was the interface in the conflict between the two superpowers. In the event of a conflict, numerous NATO troops would have been stationed on the territory of the former Federal Republic, including flying units from overseas. “And they needed space,” as the Bundeswehr writes. For example, on motorways.

“Because the runway is much shorter than usual, you obviously have to be more careful where you point your nose. And you don’t have as much room to maneuver, something bad will come up. But it feels good to be part of NATO and it feels like you’re supported with a lot of resources. And we can also support NATO with our resources, our land and runways like this.”

In Finland, the mandatory use of traffic routes was part of pilot training; in Germany, this was last trained in the 1980s because the number of airfields increased and at the same time the risk of military escalation was minimized. However, the reactivation of former “emergency landing sites” is again under discussion, writes the Bundeswehr.

In Finland, however, the roads are surrounded by dense trees – an unusual place of deployment for the Bundeswehr pilots, according to their own statements. For this purpose, three Eurofighters from the Wittmund-based Richthofen fighter squadron were deployed to Finland, as well as an A400M transport aircraft from Wunstorf with 23 personnel. “For this training of a dispersed operation, the Richthofen squadron tried to achieve the maximum learning success with the smallest possible contingent and in the shortest possible deployment time,” the Bundeswehr writes.

Finland as a new interface: NATO border with Putin’s empire doubled

The start and finish of the exercise was Rovaniemi, Finland. The aim of the exercise was to perform multiple touch-and-gos, as well as a short touchdown and take-off on a runway. Finland has been the 31st partner of the North Atlantic Defense Alliance since April 2023. NATO’s border with Russia has thus been extended by more than 1,300 kilometers, quickly doubling in size overall; with increased uncertainty on both sides – along with this, the tasks of NATO forces have also increased, such as airspace surveillance.

A peacekeeping mission, as NATO emphasizes, with the aim of ensuring the security of allied airspace: “It is a collective task that requires the constant presence – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – of combat aircraft and crews ready to respond quickly to possible violations of airspace.” Until the end of November 2024, five Eurofighters from Tactical Air Wing 74 will remain stationed in Latvia as part of the Enhanced Air Policing Baltics (VAPB).

Police operations in the air: The conflict with Russia is also escalating above the clouds

The unit from Neuburg an der Donau in Bavaria is the lead unit of the NATO mission. The fighter jets have been on alert around the clock since March. For this purpose, the Air Force has already sent contingents to the Baltic States several times over the past 20 years of Baltic Air Policing, mostly to Lithuania (Šiauliai) or Estonia (Ämari). Now, for the first time, the third Baltic state is hosting the mission, with Lielvarde airfield in central Latvia.

The Bundeswehr makes it clear on its website that the ability to use emergency landing sites is becoming increasingly important for the German Air Force. As part of alliance defense, it is necessary to adapt to the circumstances of partner countries: “Since Finland, for example, uses emergency landing sites, German fighter jets should also be able to land there in the event of a deployment to an alliance partner.”

Sweden gains confidence: The new NATO partner also practices in the forests

In May, NATO published online that the Swedes were also training to land on their roads – NATO was learning from Ukraine how vulnerable major airports are to attacks with cruise missiles, and that drones in particular are becoming increasingly dangerous and almost unpredictable opponents for bases – the planes would be trapped on the ground or in the air even if the runway was full of holes.