U.S. Marine Corps F-35B jets from VMFA-224 conducted historic flight operations from a highway near Tervo, Finland, during NATO’s Ramstein Flag 2026 (June 8–12). The exercise involved 19 nations at 15 locations and included U.S., Spanish, Polish and Finnish aircraft. Command and control for the highway sorties was coordinated from NATO’s CAOC in Bodø, Norway. Officials said the operation tested Arctic combat adaptability and distributed operations.
Historic Highway Ops: US Marine F-35Bs Fly From Finnish Road During Ramstein Flag 2026
Two U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft refuel in Tervo, Finland. (Cpl. Mya Seymour/U.S. Marine Corps)(Cpl. Mya Seymour)
U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs conducted a first-of-its-kind series of flight operations from a public highway near Tervo, Finland, during NATO’s Ramstein Flag 2026 exercise.
The jets were assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224 (VMFA-224) of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. This deployment marked the Marine Corps’ first operational presence in Finland as part of the multinational exercise held June 8–12.
Ramstein Flag 2026 brought together 19 nations operating across 15 locations. The unconventional highway operations featured U.S. F-35Bs alongside Spanish EF-18s and Polish F-16s; Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets were also photographed on the roadway during the event.
“Our mission is to ensure the joint force can fight and win,” Maj. Gen. Daniel Shipley, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said in a service statement. “Our participation in Ramstein Flag enhances the lethality of the Marine Corps, enables NATO success and guarantees our ability to deter and defeat sophisticated aerial threats.”
Elements of the 2nd MAW had previously been scheduled to join Norway’s Arctic exercise Cold Response 2026 in March, but those plans were scaled back amid concerns tied to the conflict with Iran.
Air command and control for the highway sorties and other missions was managed from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Bodø, Norway, enabling distributed command across the exercise’s broad geographic area.
“This iteration of Ramstein Flag stretches from the northernmost parts of Norway to the southern reaches of Spain, showcasing Allied Airpower’s 360-degree approach to defend every inch of NATO territory,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, commander of Allied Air Command.
The Finnish highway operation was explicitly designed to test combat adaptability and resilience in an increasingly contested Arctic environment, demonstrating NATO’s emphasis on dispersed operations and rapid, flexible basing options.
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