Finnish Air Force showcases F/A‑18 advantages in highway landing exercises
The Finnish Air Force carried out the Baana exercises, showcasing the advantages of the F/A-18 over the Gripen during a highway landing, as reported by the Ukrainian portal Defense Express. The exercises took place near Tikkakoski, where part of the E75 route was closed.
The Finnish Air Force organized their traditional Baana exercises, utilizing public roads as alternative runways. This year, the maneuvers occurred near Tikkakoski, with a section of the E75 route closed off. During the exercises, the military demonstrated landing an F/A-18 on a short stretch of road.
As a carrier aircraft, the F/A-18 is equipped with a special hook, unlike the Gripen, allowing it to stop over a short distance using arrestor gear. Although Finland doesn't have aircraft carriers, this hook remains on the planes, permitting a significantly reduced landing distance in emergencies.
The press release from the Finnish Air Force states, "During the exercise, troops are trained to operate on a highway strip, to use the Air Force’s concept of dispersed operations & to cooperate with Allies."
The maneuvers also involved F-35s conducting touch-and-go operations. Additionally, training aircraft such as the Hawk Mk.51, Mk.66, and the Learjet 35 participated in the exercises.
F/A-18 aircraft
The mentioned F/A-18, noted for its advantage over the Gripen in landing on short distances, is a supersonic multirole aircraft produced since the late 1970s. It is powered by two General Electric F404 engines, accelerating this aircraft, which measures approximately 17 metres in length with a wingspan of about 12 metres, to a speed of 1.8 Mach (about 2,205 km/h).
The armament of this aircraft can consist of a range of ammunition. Its primary weapon is the M61 Vulcan cannon. Furthermore, the F/A-18 can be equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, IRIS-T, AGM-88 HARM, Taurus, JDAM missiles, and even nuclear weapons.
