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Finland closes highways for Air Force runway drills


Image for article titled Finland closes highway for Air Force runway drills

image: @FinnishAirForce / Twitter

There is a long and The legend is believed by many people In the United States, there is a straight line on the Interstate Highway System every five miles. The erroneous reason behind the myth is that the road can be used as a runway for US Armed Forces aircraft to defend the country in the event of an invasion by a foreign power. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has repeatedly fervently denied and debunked the myth.

For example, FHWA published an article about the myth in a 2000 issue of Public road, the agency’s internal quarterly journal. The piece was written by Richard F. Weingroff, the agency’s unofficial historian and a US Air Force veteran. Weingroff spent most of the article exploring the misunderstood origins of myths. He concluded by writing, “There is no law, regulation, policy or red tape that requires one of the five miles of the Interstate Highway System to go straight. Trust me on that. Please!” This is not entirely true in other parts of the world, like Finland.

This week, Finland has closed a 2.8-mile section of a major highway for the Finnish Air Force to conduct training exercises on the ground. Two hundred personnel, service F/A-18 Hornet fighters, Hawk Mk 51 trainer aircraft and several other aircraft are taking part in the exercise. The drills included preparing the highway for flight operations, practicing take-offs, landings, and aircraft maintenance, including hot refueling. Hot refueling refers to refueling an aircraft while its engines are running.

Colonel Vesa Mantyla, commander of Finnish Air Force Academy, told Reuters, “Basically, I believe all the roadbeds are in pretty good condition and can be easily put into operation in the next few days.” This stretch of highway and several others across Finland are actually designed to be used as a backup runway for defense. It is estimated that 7,000 motorists will have to make an hour-long detour around the military maneuvers.

The reason these highway drills were deemed necessary shouldn’t be overlooked. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened tension across Eastern Europe. Finland and Sweden have applied for membership in NATO, and even the region’s existing NATO members fear that they might be the Russian military’s next target. I wouldn’t call myself a pacifist, but an armed military conflict is horrific for everyone involved and should be considered an absolute last resort. However, it is vital that a country’s military to show that it is capable of defending itself as a deterrent against foreign aggression. The best war is the war that is never fought.



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