Canadian Air Force pilots conduct highway landing in Estonia

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots successfully landed CF-188 Hornet fighter jets on a public Estonian highway on Monday, something the force says it has never done before.

In a Tuesday social media post on X, the RCAF called the training exercise a “historic first.”

“This marks the first highway landing for Canada’s Fighter Force, showcasing the ability to operate in austere environments and rapidly redeploy,” the post read.

The exercise was conducted by eight Canadian fighter jets that joined Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons and one Estonian transport plane as part of TARASSIS 25, a broader NATO initiative to demonstrate “Agile Combat Employment,” which includes a series of exercises across Europe.

“This approach reflects NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept, dispersing aircraft and crews across multiple locations to enhance survivability, adaptability and rapid reinforcement,” NATO said in a release last month.

The RCAF members currently stationed in Estonia are part of Operation REASSURANCE, the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) largest oversees mission, “through which the CAF contributes to NATO deterrence and defence measures in Central and Eastern Europe,” the federal government says.

The operation “is part of the biggest reinforcement of Alliance collective defence in a generation.”

The deployment of Canadian service members to Europe comes as tensions between NATO and Russia steadily increase. Eastern and northern European countries have also reported dozens of drone incursions in recent months over airports and military bases.

Global Affairs Canada called these repeated incursions “extremely dangerous” provocations.

During Monday’s RCAF exercise, Canadian pilots practised low passes, as well as “touch-and-go” landings. The first RCAF landing was a jet flown by decorated pilot Maxime Renaud, Estonia’s public broadcaster, ERR, reported on Tuesday.