Why do US Marines land an F-35 on a narrow highway, why are there pilot shortages, and why is Facebook a serious threat to American fighter jets landing on motorways? Well, it’s not what you think!
The Reason Behind
Landing aircraft on the ground is nothing new. This practice has been fairly common for decades. The idea behind this is fairly simple.
During a conflict, ideally, you want to disperse forces as much as you can so they’re harder to find. Also, when an adversary denies a particular use of an air base by constantly firing at it, it would be challenging for them to attack every single straight mile of road in a country.
What is an F-35 Doing on This Old Highway?
The US Marines landed an F-35B on this old California highway not to show off their skills, but to figure out how to actually do it. This was the first time the plane landed on such a narrow road.
Fortunately, the pilot won’t get a ticket since now been converted into a training facility, V/STOL 101.
How Social Media Jeopardizes Mobile Runways
Expeditionary advanced bases on some islands in the Philippines and Japan that would be able to land an F-35 or C-130 would need roadways that are about 3,000 feet long. Thus, there will be a local population nearby with phones and Facebook, or social media in general.
People will take photos and post them online. This makes it possible not only to geolocate but put things together. If a base is discovered, it can be quickly wiped out by the enemy.