Veteran US A-10C fighters returned to land on highways during exercise Northern Agility 22-1. About 10 planes operated from a 2,7-kilometer stretch of the M-28 highway in Michigan, and the videos show how little space there was for the special operation.
The Air National Guard, Special Operations Command and US Air Force units in Michigan led the exercise, which prepares pilots for operations in difficult situations.
This is the first time that ICTs, which allow for the rapid rearming and refueling of a running jet, have been performed on a public road in the US.
View the entire operation videos below:
Here's a clip of one of the A-10s landing yesterday on M-28 near Shingleton as part of the National Guard's #NorthernAgility exercises. pic.twitter.com/IGmxWWGaJu
— MDOT Upper Peninsula (@MDOT_UP) June 30, 2022
An A-10 taxis and turns on M-28 as part of Operation Northern Agility west of Shingleton today. pic.twitter.com/9iIx7so1D4
ADVERTISING — MDOT Upper Peninsula (@MDOT_UP) June 29, 2022
An A-10 taxis and turns on M-28 as part of Operation Northern Agility west of Shingleton today. pic.twitter.com/9iIx7so1D4
— MDOT Upper Peninsula (@MDOT_UP) June 29, 2022
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KC-135 planes participated in the operation, refueling fuel trucks, taking fuel from other regions to Michigan, and assisting the operation on the ground. During the A-10's short period on the ground, the military had to fuel the plane and load the weapons, all without turning off the engines.
“What we are doing here is trying to do everything we can to stay one step ahead of our opponents,” said Lieutenant Colonel Brian Wyrzykowski, director of exercises for Northern Agility 22-1, to journalists. “If we can generate combat air power from a public road, we can do it from virtually anywhere. If we can operate from a highway, we are very unpredictable and very agile. That's what we demonstrated here today, where you saw the first integrated combat curves for modern combat aircraft on a public road.”
Along with eight A-10Cs, also called Warthogs, an MC-12W Liberty (Beechcraft Super King Air 350ER) and a U-28A Draco (Pilatus PC-12) from the USAF Special Operations Command (AFSOC) were operating on the road. .
Additionally, an MQ-9 Reaper drone from the 119th Wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard, commanded by servicemen from the 110th Wing at Battle Creek Air Force Base, provided oversight for the event.
This is the second time that US A-10 jets have operated on highways in the country. Last year, two A-10s and a C-146 Wolfhound landed on the M-32 highway, also in Michigan, during exercise Northern Strike 21-2.
