The Italian Air Force deployed its F-35B Lightning IIs to Finland, where they conducted highway operations for the first time as part of the Imminent Field 26 exercise.
Italian F-35B Lightning II fighter jets have conducted highway operations for the first time during the Imminent Field 26 exercise in Finland. The milestone comes few months after reports emerged about the Italian Air Force evaluating the possibility of employing the F-35 from highways.
The exercise, which in previous editions was known as Baana, is organized by the Satakunta Air Wing and is running from May 18 to 22, 2026. The Finnish Air Force’s goal is to train operations from a road base as part of its mobile battle concept.
For the highway operations, the exercise is using the Jokioinen alternate landing site, located on the Highway 2, with Finnish aircraft conducting touch-and-go, landings and takeoffs. Among the aircraft employed are the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet, the Hawk jet trainer and the Learjet 35A/S utility aircraft.
On May 19, the Italian F-35Bs joined the activities, conducting short landing and takeoff operations at the Jokioinen alternate landing site. The B variant was specifically chosen for this exercise because of its Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capabilities, and is operating from Pirkkala Air Force Base, home of the Satakunta Air Wing.
The exercise is also part of the Italian Air Force’s push to practice Agile Combat Employment and expeditionary operations with the F-35B. Recently, the service also deployed the F-35B to Pantelleria airport for a week, together with the entire logistics elements serving the system.
Italian F-35 Highway Operations
As we previously reported, Italy is assessing the possibility of landing and operating its F-35A Lightning II 5th generation aircraft from selected highway sections. T he concept was publicly acknowledged by Italian Air Force Lt. Gen. Silvano Frigerio, Commander of Operational Force, during remarks delivered on Feb. 4, 2026, at the “Dominio globale” aerospace and geopolitics forum in Rome.
Frigerio stated that the Air Force is assessing “the possibility of landing F-35s on highways if the sky is threatened,” highlighting an effort to strengthen operational resilience in contested environments. At the time, no formal program or timeline was announced.
As we explained back then, during the Cold War, several air forces on both NATO and Warsaw Pact side prepared and exercised the use of straight stretches of motorway as auxiliary runways in case primary air bases were attacked. At the time, Italy tactical squadrons equipped with the G-91R/Y which could operate from road and unprepared strips, but no exercises have ever been carried out.
Frigerio’s comments suggest that the Italian Air Force is considering this approach with the F-35B in light of the evolving threat environment. However, it is unclear if these operations will also be practiced in Italy or only abroad.
At this stage, there is no indication that Italy has selected specific highway segments. Moreover, the Italian national network is made by more than 7,000 kilometers of motorways, with some being quite busy, thus requiring proper procedures for rapid closures, significant civil-military coordination, as well as investments.
Baana/ Imminent Field
Imminent field is the yearly dispersed operations exercise of the Finnish Air Force. The exercise was locally known as Baana, while Imminent Field was the NATO designation, which now appears to have completely replaced the Baana designation.
According to the Finnish Air Force, the exercise is part of Finland’s strategy to maintain readiness by dispersing aircraft across various locations outside main bases, enhancing operational flexibility. These operations are part of the training of all Finnish Air Force pilots.
Baana already saw the F-35 in action in recent years. The first were the F-35As of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, which took part in Baana 23.
The landing on the Finnish motorway by the RNoAF F-35As marked the first time a CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing) variant of the Lightning II carried out highway operations. The Norwegian F-35s were equipped with the distinguishing special fairing on the upper rear fuselage, between the vertical tails, that houses the aircraft’s drag chute, although it was not used during the exercise.
A year later, it was the turn of two F-35A jets belonging to the U.S. Air Force’s 495th Fighter Squadron. Baana 24 marked the first time in history a U.S. fighter aircraft operated on a Finnish highway strip, with the service expanding on Agile Combat Employment capabilities by learning austere environment aircraft landing and take-off operations and techniques from their Finnish counterparts.
In 2025, the Royal Netherlands Air Force also joined the exercise. Similarly to what did U.S. and Norwegian F-35s in the previous years, the Dutch F-35s implemented Agile Combat Employment capabilities by learning austere environment aircraft landing and take-off operations.
Now, for the fourth consecutive year, the exercise saw again the participation of F-35s with the deployment of the Italian Air Force. This also represents the first participation of the F-35B variant.
