Highway patrol: US Marine F-35s conduct flight operations on Finnish roads

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs made a historic first impression on Finland this month, when the service’s air crews conducted a series of unorthodox flight operations from a highway in Tervo.

The aircraft, assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224 (VMFA-224), became the service’s first to deploy to the Scandinavian country as part of the NATO-led Exercise Ramstein Flag 2026, according to a release.

The June 8-12 exercise featured 19 nations operating out of 15 locations, with the highway air operations involving the U.S. F-35s, Spanish EF-18s and Polish F-16s, according to the release. Finnish air force F/A-18 Hornets were also pictured on the roadway.

“Our mission is to ensure the joint force can fight and win,” Maj. Gen. Daniel Shipley, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said in the release. “Our participation in Ramstein Flag enhances the lethality of the Marine Corps, enables NATO success and guarantees our ability to deter and defeat sophisticated aerial threats.”

Elements of the 2nd MAW were previously slated to participate in the Norway-based Arctic warfare exercise Cold Response 2026 in March, but were pulled back amid concerns over the conflict with Iran .

The non-traditional Finnish highway operation was designed to test combat adaptability in an increasingly contested Arctic, the service said, with air command and control of the highway operations — and other air missions — coordinated from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center in Bodo, Norway.

“This iteration of Ramstein Flag stretches from the northernmost parts of Norway to the southern reaches of Spain, showcasing Allied Airpower’s 360-degree approach to defend every inch of NATO territory,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, commander of Allied Air Command, said in the release. “The scale of this exercise is a testament to NATO’s determination to counter modern and emerging threats through distributed operations across NATO’s Joint Operations Areas.”

J.D. Simkins is Editor-in-Chief of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.

本月，美国海军陆战队的 F-35B 闪电 II 战斗机给芬兰留下了历史性的首次印象，当时该部队的机组人员从泰尔沃的一条高速公路上进行了一系列非传统的飞行作业。

据一份新闻稿称，这架隶属于海军陆战队第二航空联队第224战斗攻击机中队（VMFA-224）的飞机，成为该军种首次部署到这个斯堪的纳维亚国家的飞机，作为北约领导的“拉姆施泰因旗帜2026”演习的一部分。

根据新闻稿，6月8日至12日举行的演习共有19个国家参与，在15个地点进行演练。公路空中作战行动中，美国空军的F-35、西班牙空军的EF-18和波兰空军的F-16参与其中。芬兰空军的F/A-18“大黄蜂”战斗机也出现在公路上。

“我们的使命是确保联合部队能够作战并取得胜利，”美国海军陆战队欧洲和非洲司令部司令丹尼尔·希普利少将在新闻稿中表示。“我们参与拉姆施泰因旗帜演习增强了海军陆战队的杀伤力，确保了北约的成功，并保障了我们威慑和击败复杂空中威胁的能力。”

第二海军陆战队航空联队的部分兵力原计划参加 3 月份在挪威举行的“寒冷反应 2026”北极战争演习，但由于对与伊朗的冲突感到担忧而被撤回。

芬兰空军表示，此次非传统的公路行动旨在测试在竞争日益激烈的北极地区的作战适应能力，公路行动以及其他空中任务的空中指挥和控制均由位于挪威博德的北约联合空中作战中心协调。

“此次‘拉姆施泰因旗帜’演习范围从挪威最北端延伸至西班牙最南端，展现了盟军空军360度全方位防御北约领土的行动，”美国空军中将、盟军空军司令杰森·T·欣兹在新闻稿中表示。“此次演习的规模充分体现了北约通过在北约联合行动区开展分布式行动，应对现代和新兴威胁的决心。”

JD Simkins 是《军事时报》和《防务新闻》的总编辑，也是参加过伊拉克战争的海军陆战队老兵。