Originally Posted by
rjtjrt
As per a comment on Twitter, is the hard stand a requirement for operation?
Whether it is or it isn't, in a single area of ops like the FI it makes sense to operate from well-found/hard surfaces during routine ops.
Harrier can land in a field, but routinely used runways; Hercules and A400 have often landed on beaches, but there is a penalty to pay if you do it all the time (as I am sure the engineers on here will confirm).