- US special operators recently practiced landing various military aircraft on Wyoming highways.
- The event helped train the Air Force to use roads in case runways aren't an option.
- Participating units flew a MC-130J, a MQ-9 Reaper drone, and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes.
Rural Wyoming's Highways 287 and 789 don't have the typical resources of a military-grade runway. But that didn't stop the US Air Force from using the roads to land several aircraft — including one of its biggest planes.
Soldiers from the 15th Special Operations Squadron flew a MC-130J Commando II on the highway during an exercise earlier this week that was intended to help the Air Force practice landing and taking off in smaller and more mobile settings, instead of larger locations like air bases with vast resources.
The 160,000 pound MC-130J, which stretches nearly 100 feet in length and has a wingspan of over 132 feet, landed at speeds of around 140 mph on a lonely — and scenic — stretch of asphalt that was closed to the general public, the 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. Airmen from Kentucky's National Guard even parachuted from the MC-130J to secure the 30,000-foot-long highway runway for the aircraft.
Lt. Col. Adam Schmidt, the 15th SOS Commander, said the MC-130J is the "most versatile platform" in the branch. "This is what we do," he said in the statement. "And having the capability to land on a highway or a road can absolutely present some unique challenges to our adversaries. We can take the concepts from this exercise and apply them to any road, and in the most austere environments."
The MC-130J was one of several planes involved in the Air Force Special Operations Command-led event, dubbed Exercise Agile Chariot, which also saw a MQ-9 Reaper drone, two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes, and two MH-6M Little Bird helicopters use the highways as landing zones.
Exercise Agile Chariot was intended for the US military to practice using small and dispersed locations as a way to quickly mobilize and support aircraft, pilots, and personnel instead of relying on large, fixed infrastructure and bases, according to the 1st Special Operations Wing. The division, which published photos and videos of the exercise, said units also practiced arming, refueling, combat turnarounds, search and rescue missions, and taking off from the roads.
"An adversary that may be able to deny use of a military base or an airfield, is going to have a nearly impossible time trying to defend every single linear mile of roads," said Lt. Col. Dave Meyer, deputy mission commander for Exercise Agile Chariot, in a statement. "It's just too much territory for them to cover and that gives us access in places and areas that they can't possibly defend."
Practicing the use of unconventional runways is not a new feat for the US military. Air Force planes — including the MC-130J and Warthog — have landed on stretches of highway in recent years in places like Michigan, Latvia, and Sweden. And the Air Force Special Operations Command has even explored modifications to the MC-130J to allow it to land in water.
But the recent drills in Wyoming marked the first time that the Reaper drone landed on a highway, an accomplishment that Lt. Col. David Payne, 2nd Special Operations Squadron commander, said highlights how the MQ-9 "can launch and recover from remote locations and extend its operational reach to protect American interests globally."