Why Swedish jets land on highways 🇸🇪 🛬 🛣️ 

It’s a strange sight, yet one common in Sweden: angular fighter jets slowly drifting down to land not on a runway, but a civilian motorway.
This is a difficult but critical skill that gives the Swedish Air Force 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. The Gripen is also engineered to land on roadways: its reinforced landing gear can handle a harder landing, and the jet stands high enough to prevent loose asphalt or other roadside debris from getting sucked down the jet intake.
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. While impressive to witness, this is a complicated art that requires hours of training to perfect. But ultimately, it pays off: Sweden’s ability to spread its air forces throughout the country makes it very difficult for an adversary to knock them out.