US Air Force deployed modern warplanes to a civilian American highway for the first time as the military tests its readiness for a potential new Cold War.
Four A-10C Thunderbolt II Tankbusters, along with a pair of operations transport planes were deployed to a highway in Michigan throughout the morning as part of a drill intended to prepare for a conflict with China or Russia.
The drill was part of the larger Northern Strike Exercise, which the Department of Defense says is its largest annual reserves drill.
This year it comprised around 5,100 participants from across the military branches, as well as allied nations. It runs from July 31 to August 14.
'This is believed to be the first time in history that modern Air Force aircraft have intentionally landed on a civilian roadway on U.S. soil,' Air Force Col. James Rossi, the Combat Readiness Training Center commander for the highway operation. 'Our efforts are focused on our ability to train the warfighter in any environment across the continuum so our nation can compete, deter, and win today and tomorrow.'
Four A-10C Thunderbolt II attack jets landed on a highway in Michigan Thursday morning as part of an training exercise intended to test Air Force capabilities to operate in rugged conditions
It was the first time modern military aircraft had landed on a US civilian highway, and was done in collaboration with the Michigan State DOT
The drills were conducted on Michigan's M-32 highway in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation, which shared footage of the jets landing and taxiing on the highway.
The department did not immediately return a request for comment on whether the highways needed to be modified to accommodate the aircraft, but electricity for neighboring houses was shut off for for the morning.
Overseen by the Michigan Air National Guard, the highway operation involved participation from a number of Air Force and DoD entities.
Two of the A-10s flew from Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing, stationed out of the Air National Guard Base in Selfridge, and the other two were from the active-duty 335th Wing, based out of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, The Drive reported.
The pair of C-146A Wolfhound operations transport planes, meanwhile, came from the Air Force Special Operations Command at Duke Field in Florida.
Video of the jets showed them touching down on Michigan's M-32 highway in Alpena, which was nearby the operations base for the drill
The attack jets are seen taxiing along the highway. The drill was part of a larger Northern Strike Exercise, which is the Department of Defense says is its largest annual practice exercise
The highway drill brought in Air Force assets from bases in Florida and Arizona as well as from the Air National Guard in Michigan
The A-10s were built to be rugged aircraft, with short take off and landing capabilities ideal for use in conditions such as a highway or unfinished airfield
The Davis-Monthan base also provided search and rescue operations support for the drill.
The highway drill was overseen by the nearby Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, which is supporting the larger Northern Strike exercise.
The overall exercise is being run out of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center, also in Michigan, which is conducting the exercise that not only concerns air capabilities but also land, sea, space and cyber warfare.
The Drive also reported that Michigan's Air National Guard has had experience landing aircraft in similar conditions, with A-10s from its 127th Wing operating off of highways in Estonia as part of a previous exercise in 2018.
