Indonesian Air Force tests aircraft operations from highway
The Indonesian Air Force landed a Lockheed Martin F-16 on a 24 m wide highway on 11 February 2026. (TNI-AU)
The Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) has operated combat aircraft from a stretch of public highway, assessing its ability to employ civilian infrastructure for off-base activities in a crisis.
During the test, conducted on 11 February, one Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano and a Lockheed Martin F-16A Fighting Falcon landed and took off from the Terbanggi Besar-Pematanag Panggang-Kayu Agung (abbreviated as Terpeka) section of Indonesia's Trans-Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS) on Sumatra, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
The trial was “the first of its kind to be conducted on a toll road in Indonesia”, said Indonesian Deputy Minister of Defense Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto (retd).
Describing the test as an important milestone in national air-defence preparedness, the MoD said that the demonstration paves the way for the TNI-AU to employ civilian infrastructure for military purposes “under certain conditions” in emergencies.
According to Taufanto, the government has prepared a road map for the development of several toll roads and national roads in various regions to meet the requirements for situational alternative airstrips. “This concept is considered crucial for maintaining defence preparedness in the archipelago. We want each large island to have multiple alternative bases. If one base is disrupted, there are still other options,” he said. “This step aligns with the defence strategy for large islands, ensuring alternative base options are available when needed.”
Janes
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