Finnish Air Force showcases F/A‑18's prowess in Baana drills
The Finnish Air Force held the Baana exercises, highlighting the superiority of the F/A-18 over the Gripen during a highway landing, according to the Ukrainian portal Defense Express. The exercises took place near Tikkakoski, necessitating the closure of a segment of the E75 route.
The Finnish Air Force organised the traditional Baana exercises, which involve utilising public roads as alternative runways. This year, the manoeuvres occurred near Tikkakoski, leading to the temporary closure of a part of the E75 route. During the exercises, the military demonstrated the landing of an F/A-18 aircraft on a short roadside segment.
The F/A-18, as a carrier-based aircraft, is equipped with a particular hook that the Gripen lacks. This hook enables the aircraft to stop over a brief distance via an arrester hook system. Although Finland does not have aircraft carriers, this feature has been retained on the planes, allowing for a notable reduction in landing distances in emergencies.
A Finnish Air Force press release 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 manoeuvres also included F-35s, which performed touch-and-go operations. The Finnish Air Force reported that Hawk Mk.51 and Mk.66 training aircraft, alongside the Learjet 35, participated in the exercises.
F/A-18 aircraft
To clarify, the F/A-18, which shows an advantage over the Gripen when landing on short sections, is a supersonic multirole aircraft that has been in production since the late 1970s. It is powered by two General Electric F404 engines, propelling this aircraft, which is approximately 17 metres long with a wingspan of about 12 metres, to a speed of 1.8 Mach (around 2,200 km/h or 1,367 mph).
The armament of the F/A-18 can comprise various munitions, though the primary weapon is the M61 Vulcan cannon. Additionally, the aircraft can be equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, IRIS-T, AGM-88 HARM missiles, as well as Taurus, JDAM, and nuclear weapons under its fuselage.
