Italian F-35Bs Practise Highway Operations in Finland, Expanding NATO’s Dispersed Airpower Playbook

Italian Air Force F-35Bs have carried out highway take-offs and landings in Finland for the first time during Exercise Imminent Field 26, marking another step in NATO’s growing focus on dispersed air operations near the Alliance’s northern flank. The drills, confirmed today by NATO Allied Air Command, highlight how fifth-generation aircraft are increasingly being integrated into austere and survivable operating concepts designed for high-intensity conflict scenarios.

The activity involved Italian STOVL F-35Bs operating from a Finnish highway strip, a capability long cultivated by Finland and other Nordic air forces as part of their resilience doctrine. For the Italian Air Force, however, this represents a significant operational milestone for the F-35B fleet outside traditional airbase environments.

A Strategic Shift Toward Distributed Operations

In recent years, NATO air forces have accelerated preparations for scenarios in which major fixed airbases could become vulnerable to missile strikes or electronic warfare attacks. Highway operations offer a way to complicate enemy targeting while maintaining sortie generation even under contested conditions.

For Italy, the exercise is particularly notable because the F-35B is primarily associated with expeditionary and naval operations, including deployments aboard the aircraft carrier Cavour. Operating the aircraft from improvised road bases in northern Europe expands the range of scenarios in which the platform can be employed.

The Finnish concept relies on rapid dispersion, mobile logistics, and the ability to sustain air operations with minimal infrastructure. Integrating Italian aircraft into that ecosystem suggests increasing interoperability between southern and northern NATO members following Finland’s accession to the Alliance.

The timing also matters. NATO has placed growing emphasis on Arctic and High North readiness after Finland and Sweden reshaped the Alliance’s northern geography. Exercises such as Imminent Field 26 are becoming laboratories for testing how quickly allied airpower can relocate and survive in a contested battlespace.

Another important aspect is the message directed toward potential adversaries: NATO’s stealth assets are increasingly training to operate away from predictable main operating bases, reducing the effectiveness of pre-planned strike packages against allied airpower infrastructure.