Swedish Air Force JAS 39 'Gripen Fighters' Land on a Highway

Swedish Air Force Gripen fighters practiced the delicate art of landing on civilian highways during an exercise near Gothenburg, Sweden on 21 May 2024. Swedish fighter pilots learn how to land on civilian roads to give them extra flexibility in the event of a crisis.

If airbases, airports or auxiliary landing strips are damaged or otherwise unavailable, the JAS 39 Gripen fighters can land on roads that have been deliberately engineered to accommodate landings by fighter jets. Once on the ground, the Gripens make use of a mobile forward arming and refuelling point (FARP), gassing up in a matter of minutes before taking off again.

The Gripen is Sweden’s premier multirole fighter, with a reinforced landing gear that props the plane high enough above the asphalt to prevent debris from getting sucked down the jet intake.