This is the incredible moment a 1,000 mph Swiss F-18 fighter jet made a smoothe-as-butter landing on a motorway.

Breathtaking footage of the landing, part of a training drill, shows the Air Force jet touching down in the middle of the four-lane A1 motorway near Bern on June 5.

All road traffic had been kept out of the area to clear the way for the jet, which can reach speeds of Mach 1.8.

Military footage of the landing shows the pilot bringing down the plane for the emergency landing with pinpoint precision and slowing to a walking pace within moments.

After the jet has taxied to a stop, the ground crew cleans its windscreen while the pilot hands over what appears to be a flight log.

Swiss military officials explained that many of the country's motorways were built during the Cold War with special sections designed to withstand an emergency aircraft landing.

A Swiss Army statement said: 'On June 5, 2024, the Air Force took off and landed its F/A-18fighter jets on the A1 national road near Payerne.

'The test was aimed at strengthening the army's defence capabilities through so-called decentralisation.

'It was a military test and not a public event. The training area was cordoned off over a large area, and road traffic was diverted.'

Military experts said the tests had been prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the return of war to Europe.

They explained: 'The AirForce currently only has three jet airfields, Payerne, Emmen and Meiringen.

'This means that it has concentrated all its resources in a few places, which makes it susceptible and vulnerable.

'To minimise this risk, the Air Force is relying, among other things, on decentralisation as a passive air defence measure.

'Decentralisation means having the ability to distribute people and material throughout the country within the shortest possible time.

'If possible, the Air Force's resources should also be able to operate from decentralised or, in some cases, improvised locations.

'This is why it took off and landed its F/A-18s on the A1 motorway near Payerne on June 5, 2024 as part of the'Alpha Uno' exercise.

'In addition to certain sections of highway that were designed for such operations during the Cold War, former military airfields that are now used for civilian purposes are also suitable for the decentralised use of military aircraft.

'Due to the deteriorating security situation in Europe, the army wants to comprehensively and consistently strengthen its defence capabilities in all areas of operation.'