F-35B Lightning II fighter jets from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) carried out landings, takeoffs and refueling operations on a highway in the Tervo region of Finland during the NATO exercise Ramstein Flag 2026.
The operations were conducted between June 8 and 12 by the VMFA-224 “Fighting Bengals” squadron, as part of the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, which aims to allow aircraft to continue operating even if conventional air bases are attacked or become unavailable.
According to a report by the specialized website The Aviationist, the activity marked the first time Marine Corps F-35B aircraft operated from a road in the Nordic country.
According to NATO, Ramstein Flag 2026 brought together more than 200 aircraft from 18 countries operating from more than 20 locations across Europe. The exercise focused on integrated air defense, operations in contested environments and increasing interoperability among allied forces.
In addition to the American F-35Bs, aircraft from Spain and Poland also took part in operations on Finnish highways, while the Finnish Air Force used its F/A-18 Hornet fighters in the training. The event also marked the first deployment of USMC F-35B aircraft on Finnish territory.
Finland has a long tradition of dispersed operations and maintains sections of highways prepared for military use in the event of conflict. For NATO, the ability to operate advanced fighter jets from unconventional locations increases the survivability of air forces and makes it harder for adversaries to neutralize aircraft in attacks on fixed bases.
🪖In “Ramstein Flag 26,” the @EjercitoAire, together with allies from the United States and Poland, operated for the first time from a runway set up on a highway in Finland.
💪 Strengthening cooperation, interoperability and response capability.
📹 @FinnishAirForce pic.twitter.com/pyUKlgUbCq— Ministry of Defense (@Defensagob) June 17, 2026
Photos: U.S. Marine Corps / X @Defensagob. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
