Dutch F-35As, French Rafales and Swedish Gripens join Finland’s dispersal drill

The Finnish Air Force will disperse 20 F/A-18 Hornet fighters across military air bases, civilian airports and a highway strip during Protective Fence 26, its main exercise of the year, running from November 19 to 27, 2026.

More than 40 aircraft and approximately 4,100 personnel will take part, according to the Finnish Air Force. The exercise will use 10 operating bases in Finland and Sweden, as well as the Jännevirta highway strip near Kuopio. Flight operations will continue around the clock during the exercise’s main phase, from November 22 to 24, 2026.

Allied participation will include Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force F-35As operating from Rissala, French Air and Space Force Rafales deployed to Rovaniemi, and Swedish Air Force Gripens flying from Kallax Air Base in northern Sweden. The Royal Air Force, US Air Force and Virginia Air National Guard will also contribute specialists.

More than 1,800 Finnish reservists will participate, including in aircraft maintenance and force protection. The exercise will also serve as the final training event for Finnish Air Force conscripts completing their military service in December 2026.

Finnish Hornets to operate from upgraded highway strip

A Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet taxis on a highway strip during a dispersed-basing exercise. (Credit: Finnish Air Force)

The only highway strip publicly identified for the exercise is Jännevirta, on Highway 9 just south of Kuopio Airport (KUO), which shares its runway with the Karelia Air Wing’s Rissala Air Base.

Hornets and other aircraft will operate from the strip, requiring Highway 9 to be closed to civilian traffic from November 18 to 25, 2026.

Aircraft will also fly from the civilian airports at Oulu and Kajaani, alongside the main military bases at Rovaniemi, Rissala, Tikkakoski and Pirkkala.

The Jännevirta reserve landing site was upgraded as part of a wider Highway 9 improvement project led by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. A 2022 planning decision describes adapting the existing strip to European Union civil-military dual-use requirements and adding two aircraft parking positions.

The wider road project received €25.13 million in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility under its military mobility program, according to the Finnish government.

Finland’s dispersed-basing doctrine draws NATO interest

A French Air and Space Force Rafale taking off from Pirkkala Air Base during Atlantic Trident 25, June 19, 2025. (Credit: U.S. Air Force photo)

“Ukraine’s war experience has further underlined the importance of dispersing the fighter fleet,” said Colonel Vesa Mäntylä, the Finnish Air Force’s chief of operations.

Finland’s practice of operating fighters from highways dates back to the 1960s, long before the country joined NATO in April 2023. Its annual Baana exercises have helped preserve that expertise, allowing Finnish aircraft to continue operating even if their main bases are damaged or unavailable.

Dispersal involves more than moving aircraft between runways. Keeping fighters operational away from their home bases requires mobile maintenance teams, fuel, munitions, spare parts and secure communications. The ability to sustain combat operations with limited personnel and equipment is central to Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a concept increasingly adopted by NATO air forces.

Finland’s experience has attracted interest from other NATO air forces. In September 2025, a Virginia Air National Guard team already observed Protective Fence 25 to study Finnish ACE tactics.

Finland prepares to bring highway operations into the F-35 era

A US Air Force F-35A taxis along the Hosio highway strip in Ranua, Finland, during Exercise Baana 24 on September 4, 2024. (Credit: U.S. Air Force photo)

Finland’s own F-35As will not participate in Protective Fence 26. The first two aircraft arrived at Rovaniemi on September 18, 2026, beginning the transition from the Hornet fleet.

The Lapland Air Wing is scheduled to reach initial operational capability in early 2028, when it will operate exclusively with the F-35. The Karelia Air Wing at Rissala is due to receive its first F-35s later that year, with full operational capability planned by the end of 2030.

That places the upgraded Jännevirta highway strip alongside one of Finland’s future F-35 bases.

Agile combat employment in action!

The United States Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II fighter jets landed at, were hot-pit refueled, and took off from the Hosio highway strip in Ranua in the #Baana24 exercise.

#ilmavoimat #ImminentField24 @Laplsto @HQUSAFEAFAF @NATO_AIRCOM https://t.co/K9gN9Ncve2

— Ilmavoimat (@FinnishAirForce) September 5, 2024

The F-35A has already demonstrated its ability to operate from Finnish roads. Two US Air Force F-35As landed on the Hosio highway strip in Ranua on September 4, 2024, followed by Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35As during Baana 25 in May 2025.

Mäntylä said the Netherlands’ years of experience operating the F-35 offer lessons for Finland as it introduces the fighter, while Finland can share its expertise in mobile, dispersed operations.

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