The Swiss Air Force is set to practice landing and taking off fighter jets on a highway as part of military exercises. The recent aggression by Russia against Ukraine has worsened the security
situation, leading the government to justify the need for such maneuvers.
The Federal Council announced on January 31, 2024, that a stretch of the A1 federal highway in the canton of Vaud would be closed for a maximum of 36 hours from June 4 to June 6, 2024. The closure aims to assess the defense capabilities of the country's air force and practice measures for the dispersion of resources intended to cover the country's airspace.
The Swiss Air Force received approval from the Federal Council today to practice takeoffs and landings of F/A-18 fighter jets on the A1 highway between the cities of Yverdon and Payerne. This is done to enhance the country's defense capabilities, requiring the air force to be proficient in using improvised runways.
"Security conditions in Europe have deteriorated even further in recent years, especially since the start of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine," stated the Federal Council. Currently, all resources of the Swiss Air Force are concentrated at only a few airbases, making them particularly vulnerable.
"Where possible, the air force should also be able to operate from such decentralized temporary options," the government statement added. Practical exercises are scheduled for the first week of June 2024, with F/A-18 fighters landing and taking off on the prepared section of the A1 highway in the canton of Vaud. Planning for the exercises is done in close cooperation with the Federal Department of Transport (Astra) and the cantonal police of Vaud and Fribourg.
Similar tests on highways were last conducted in the 1970s and 1980s with the types of aircraft used at that time. Chief of the Swiss Air Force, Peter Merz, announced in March 2023 that the armed forces are assessing locations nationwide that could be rapidly converted into temporary military airfields.
In addition to searching for improvised runways on highways, Switzerland's military leadership may temporarily revive old military airfields. The last tests on highways were conducted in the 1970s and 1980s with the types of aircraft used at that time. Photo by Jerry Gunner from Lincoln, UK, Wikimedia commons.