Road runway - Wikipedia Jump to content Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Special pages Search Search Appearance Donate Create account Log in Personal tools Donate Create account Log in Contents move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 Design 2 Around the world Toggle Around the world subsection 2.1 Australia 2.2 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.3 China 2.4 Croatia 2.5 Cyprus 2.6 Czech Republic 2.7 Estonia 2.8 Finland 2.9 Germany 2.10 India 2.11 Indonesia 2.12 Japan 2.13 North Korea 2.14 Pakistan 2.15 Poland 2.16 Singapore 2.17 South Korea 2.18 Soviet Union 2.19 Sri Lanka 2.20 Sweden 2.21 Switzerland 2.22 Taiwan 2.23 Thailand 2.24 United Kingdom 2.25 United States 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References Toggle the table of contents Road runway 14 languages Deutsch Esperanto فارسی Suomi Français Magyar Italiano 日本語 Nederlands Norsk bokmål Polski Português Svenska 中文 Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Switch to legacy parser Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Highway strip) Section of a public road acting as a runway for aircraft A Lockheed C-130 Hercules about to land on the West German Bundesautobahn 29 (A29 Autobahn) near Ahlhorn during military exercise 'Highway 84'. Road runway on the West German Bundesautobahn 29 (A29 Autobahn) near Ahlhorn. A road runway or road base or highway airstrip (US), is a section of an automotive public road, highway, motorway, or similar, that is specially built (or adapted) to act as a runway for (primarily) military aircraft, and to serve as an emergency or auxiliary military airbase. These road runways allow military aircraft to continue operating even if the runway at their respective airbases (some of the most high-priority targets in any war) are degraded, damaged, or destroyed. The first road runways were constructed towards the end of World War II in Nazi Germany, where the well-developed Reichsautobahn system allowed their military aircraft to use their motorways. During the Cold War, road runways were systematically built on both sides of the Iron Curtain, in many cases in response to the Six Day War and Operation Focus in 1967, where the Israeli Air Force in a surprise air strike disabled many of their opponents' air bases in just a few hours.[1][2] Countries which have built road runways include both West and East Germany, Singapore, North Korea, Taiwan, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Switzerland (military significance),[3] Poland, India, Pakistan, and Czechoslovakia. Design [edit] The road runways are typically 2 to 3.5 kilometres (1.2 to 2.2 miles) straight sections of the road or highway, where any central reservation is made of crash barriers that can be removed quickly (in order to allow aeroplanes to use the whole width of the road). Other features of an airbase (taxiways, aircraft parking aprons) may also be built. The road will need a thicker-than-normal surface and a solid concrete base. The specialised equipment of a typical airfield are stored somewhere nearby, and only moved to the road runway when airfield operations start. The road runways can be converted from motorways to airbases typically within 24-to-48 hours. The road would need to be swept to remove any FOD debris before use by aircraft. Road runways can however also be quite small; the short runways built in the Swedish Bas 90 system are commonly only 800 metres (2,600 feet) in length. The STOL-capability of the Viggen and Gripen allowed for such short runways.[4][5] In the case of Finnish road airbases, the space needed for landing aircraft is reduced by means of a wire, similar to the CATOBAR system used on some aircraft carriers.[6] Around the world [edit] A number of countries around the world utilise the strategy of highways constructed to double as auxiliary runways for nearby airbases in the event of war. Australia [edit] A sign on the Eyre Highway in Australia indicating that a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) emergency airstrip is ahead; there are four such strips on the highway. While not designed for military use, in outback Australia, some sections of highway are maintained as emergency runways for use by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).[7][8] Bosnia and Herzegovina [edit] In Glamoč, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the M15 road was used as a military airstrip. There is a clear example of how the road was widened for the needs of aeroplane landing.[9] China [edit] In 1989, China conducted its first road runway drills. They have since been conducted at later dates, and in different areas of the country.[citation needed] In 2014, Chinese forces landed military aircraft[which?] on a road runway in Henan province for the first time.[10] Croatia [edit] Very close to the Grobničko Polje Airfield, the part of the A6 highway on the Orehovica - Kikovica section is arranged for the landing of all types of military and civilian planes. The plain, 2000 meters long, ran along the edge of the Grobničko polje. In case of need, that flat part of the highway could easily be turned into a runway. In the middle, which divided the two lanes of the highway, there were ordinary bollards, which could be removed and a nice wide runway would be obtained that allowed landing.[11] Cyprus [edit] After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, three road runways were built in the non-occupied areas of Cyprus, easily recognisable by a runway centre line and markings for the touchdown zone. They also have aircraft turning areas at either end. One is located on the A1 Limassol–Nicosia highway (5,200 metres (17,100 feet)) and one near the western end of the A5 Limassol–Larnaca highway (5,000 metres (16,000 feet)).[12] The third is a much smaller strip located on the A6 Limassol-Paphos highway near to Paphos International Airport.[13] Czech Republic [edit] In the Czech Republic, road runways are called 'the airport section of the highway' (Czech: letištní úsek dálnice (LÚD)). There are two existing road runways. One on highway D1 (km 136.8 to 139.2) near Měřín, 2,100 metres (6,900 feet) long by 25.5 metres (84 feet) wide. It was finished in 1976, and was used for exercise landings and take-offs in 1980, 1982, and 1985. The second road runway is on highway D46 (km 1.4 to 4.2), and it is designed as backup take-off and landing runway for Vyškov Airport. Many more were planned, but not built.[14] Estonia [edit] During the Operation Saber Strike exercises in Estonia in 2016 and 2018, A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the United States Air National Guard operated from former Warsaw Pact road runways in Estonia.[15][16] Finland [edit] Alavus road runway in Finland. In the Winter War of 1939-1940, the Finnish Air Force re-deployed its aircraft to makeshift airfields, including frozen lakes, to preserve them against Soviet air attack. The tactic was successful, with Soviet air raids on bases causing little damage, and the vastly outnumbered Finnish aircraft scoring a high number of aerial victories.[17] Throughout the Cold War, the Finnish Air Force maintained a network of secondary airfields, including civilian airports and road bases, to improve survivability and effectiveness in the event of war.[18] As of 2017, all aircraft in the Finnish Air Force are capable of operating from road bases.[19] Currently Finland conducts drills on its road bases (Finnish: maantietukikohta), around once a year. In the Baana 16 exercise in 2016, the Finnish Air Force flew F/A-18C and BAE Hawk, Pilatus PC-12, and C295M aircraft from a highway in Lusi. The Finnish Air Force uses arresting cables to quickly stop F/A-18s, which were originally designed to operate from aircraft carriers. The Swedish Air Force also took part in the 2015 and 2016 exercises, flying Gripen fighters.[19][20] The Royal Norwegian Air Force took part in the 2023 exercise, flying F-35 fighter.[21] Germany [edit] [</span>icon<span typeof=\"mw:Entity\" id=\"mw-A\">]</span>","txt":"[icon]"}]]}'> This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (January 2025) German Reichsautobahn road runway in World War II (Spring 1945), with Ju 88 heavy fighters parked on the shoulders. During the Cold War, the Bundeswehr established 25 emergency landing sites (Notlandeplätze, or NLP) across Germany, based on concepts developed in Switzerland and Sweden. [22] These sites were constructed on straight motorway sections approximately 2,000 (some 2,500) meters in length, featuring concreted medians, removable guardrails, designated parking areas for mobile control towers and aircraft, and underground fuel storage. One such site was located on the A29 motorway near Ahlhorn,[23] where in 1984 the German Air Force and the United States Air Force conducted exercises involving aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom, F-16 Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-160 Transall, and C-130 Hercules.[24] USAF A-10 Thundebolts landing on the Autobahn The use of emergency landing sites declined after the 1980s due to the availability of military and civilian airfields, and they are no longer maintained for operational use.[25] India [edit] IAF Mirage 2000 landing on the Yamuna Expressway ELF field. In India, road runways are called 'emergency landing facilities' (ELF). ELFs are activated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh,Assam and union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A total thirteen locations have been chosen for development of such road runways.[26] Yamuna Expressway: India has successfully tested its road runway on a stretch of the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on 21 May 2015.[27] It was built at a cost of ₹130 billion for its combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), a first for military aviation in the country. In June 2016, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced that the government was considering developing 'road runways' for commercial operations as well.[28] Agra–Lucknow Expressway (Lucknow): The Bangarmau Airstrip is located 65 km (40 mi) from Lucknow on the expressway and has been tested multiple times since 2015 with fighter aircraft and military transport aircraft.[29][30][31] National Highway 925 (Barmer): on 9 September 2021, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and the Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, inaugurated India's first road runway on a National Highway NH925 in Barmer, Rajasthan and, a mock emergency landing was conducted with the two ministers and the Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria on-board a military transport aircraft.[32][33] National Highway 16 (Bapatla): an emergency landing facility airstrip was activated on National Highway 16 on 18 March 2024. The 4.1 kilometres (2.5 miles) long by 33 metres (108 feet) wide strip has been constructed by the National Highways Authority of India. Aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-30MKI, BAE Systems Hawk, Antonov An-32, and Dornier 228, conducted landing trials on the same day.[34] National Highway 44 (Anantnag): an ELF was tested on 2 April 2023 from 03:45 to 04:30 am in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The road runway is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) long. Five helicopters, including two Chinook, two Dhruv, and one Mi-17 of IAF were part of the trial. It also included Sukhoi Su-30MKI and HAL Tejas. The road runway construction started in 2020 at a cost of ₹119 crore (equivalent to ₹140 crore or US$15 million in 2023).[26][35] Ganga Expressway: Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft conducted landing and take-off drills on 2 May 2025 from its 3.5 km (2.2 mi)-long airstrip…