If you see a fighter jet landing on the highway, it's bad times for either the airplane, or your country's diplomacy.
It isn't unusual to hear about civilian aircraft landing on roads; it happened earlier this month in the Bronx, of all places. Less common are military landings on public roads, for which pilots in other countries still train. About a year ago in North Korea, Kim Jong Un, supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, supposedly oversaw a training exercise in which pilots "used the motorway as an airfield."
The U.S. doesn't have video of that, but this video of a Finnish fighter training on a highway outside Joroinen back on 2011 is making the rounds. Finland's air force, mindful of the fact motorists might be just a bit freaked out by a warplane approaching, cleared the road of traffic, but other nations aren't as considerate. A commander in the Swedish Armed Forces told SVT (Swedish) that the Russians are particularly cavalier about their exercises. As this dash-cam video shows, a pilot had no problem making his approach directly above civilian drivers during a training exercise in Belarus, who collaborates with Russia's military.
Last year, Russia conducted trial bombing runs, flying as far as Stockholm before turning back. Poland and countries bordering the Baltic Sea have observed similar behavior. For countries without a surplus real estate for dedicated military landing strips, an attack could suddenly leave a pilot for want of a proper runway. Assuming the road is clear of Volvos and Skodas, a civilian highway is a viable option.
If F-22 Raptors start landing on the 405 in Los Angeles, take notice.
