24/7 Space News
AEROSPACE
Swiss fighter jets switch runway for motorway
Swiss fighter jets switch runway for motorway
by AFP Staff Writers
Payerne, Switzerland (AFP) June 5, 2024

Four fighter jets roared in for landing in Switzerland on Wednesday, not on an airfield but on one of the country's main motorways, in a manouevre not attempted in the country in decades.

The usual hum of traffic on the A1 highway was replaced by the din of F/A-18s touching down on the carriageway.

A large stretch of the A1 was shut down for 36 hours for the test -- a relatively common exercise for NATO members but one rarely seen these days in neutral Switzerland.

Departing from the Payerne military airfield, located near the closed motorway section, the first F/A-18 fighter jet landed without a hitch at around 10:00 am (0800 GMT), as planned, the military said.

The three other F/A-18s also landed successfully on the highway, which crosses Switzerland from the French border in the west to the Austrian border in the east.

The so-called Alpha Uno exercise is aimed at making sure the Swiss airforce can keep operating if its bases are hit in the event of a conflict.

Measuring just 25 metres (82 feet) across, the four-lane motorway is also narrower than the usual landing strip, and can only be used once the central safety rail has been removed.

After the initial landing on Wednesday, the track conditions were checked.

Even small rocks and debris can cause considerable damage to jet engine turbine blades.

Another landing and take-off cycle was due to take place later on Wednesday.

The Swiss airforce operates around 30 rapidly ageing F/A-18s.

To replace them, the Swiss government has chosen a fleet of 36 F-35 stealth fighters, at a cost of more than $6 billion.

Deliveries from US manufacturer Lockheed-Martin are due to begin in 2027 and last until 2030.

Switzerland's long-standing position has been one of well-armed military neutrality and the landlocked country has mandatory conscription for men.

A key facet of its national identity, Swiss neutrality traces its roots back to 1516 and has been internationally recognised since 1815.

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AEROSPACE
Germany to buy 20 more Eurofighter jets to boost defence
Berlin (AFP) June 5, 2024
Germany will buy another 20 Eurofighter jets from Airbus, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, as Berlin battles to bulk up its defences. Speaking at the International Air Show in Berlin, Scholz said the order would be placed before Germany holds its next general elections in 2025. The new jets are in addition to another 38 that had already been ordered in 2020 as part of replacements for Germany's decades-old Tornado aircraft. Scholz said Germany was also "committed to offering further ... read more

AEROSPACE
Human bodies mostly recover from space, tourist mission shows

Ohio State students to test space food solutions for NASA

US and Germany double down on space exploration

Virgin Galactic completes final spaceflight before two-year pause

AEROSPACE
Boeing Starliner spacecraft springs more leaks on way to ISS

Rocket Lab plans 50th Electron mission to deploy five satellites for Kineis

Galactic Energy Launches Third Rocket in 10 Days

Stealth gas contracts awarded amid high profile crewed Starliner mission

AEROSPACE
New analysis suggests lack of subglacial lake on Mars

NASA explores new Mars Sample Return concepts

Martian Polar Ice Flow Mystery Finally Explained

Mars' subsurface ice could be a key to sustaining future habitats on other planets

AEROSPACE
China sees commercial sector as next frontier in US space race

China Open to Space Collaboration with the US

Shenzhou 18 crew conducts first spacewalk

Zebrafish on China's space station reported to be in good condition

AEROSPACE
Fired SpaceX workers sue Elon Musk over workplace abuses

Nara Space Secures $14.5M Series B to Expand Satellite Fleet

China launches multi-functional communication satellite for Pakistan

CGI works on new interfaces for European Space Agency to expand satellite communications market

AEROSPACE
Heat-Resistant Metal Alloys Under Study

Magnesium oxide transition insights for super-Earth exoplanets revealed

Purdue Researchers Transform 2D Metal Halide Perovskites into 1D Nanowires

DR Congo copper, cobalt miners trapped in exploitative conditions: NGOs

AEROSPACE
Giant viruses discovered on Greenland ice sheet

Planet-forming Disks Around Low-mass Stars Show Unique Characteristics

NASA's Webb Telescope Observes Potentially Habitable Exoplanets

Newly Discovered Planet Retains Atmosphere Despite Star's Intense Radiation

AEROSPACE
Understanding Cyclones on Jupiter Through Oceanography

Unusual Ion May Influence Uranus and Neptune's Magnetic Fields

NASA's Europa Clipper Arrives in Florida for Launch Preparation

New Earth-Based Telescope Images of Jupiter's Moon Io Match Spacecraft Quality

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.