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AssetID: 54012596

Headline: US Ghostrider Plane Completes Historic Landing On Public Highway

Caption: The US Air Force has landed its massive AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship aircraft on a public highway for the first time. The historic landing took place on Highway 63 in Bono, Arkansas, on 4 August, 2024. This extraordinary event was part of the larger Emerald Warrior Field Training Exercise II, aimed at showcasing Air Force Special Operations Command’s (AFSOC) Agile Combat Employment (ACE) capabilities. “This exercise marks a pivotal moment for AFSOC, demonstrating our ability to operate in a variety of challenging and remote environments,” stated Tech. Sgt. Robert Gallagher, lead planner for the highway landings, assigned to the AFSOC Air Commando Development Center. “By utilising ACE concepts, we enhance our operational flexibility and resilience.” Throughout the morning, Special Tactics Airmen from the 1st Special Operations Wing established and secured a landing zone on the highway. Shortly thereafter, a C-146A Wolfhound and an MC-130J Commando II from the 492nd Special Operations Wing made successful landings on the five-lane highway. The crew of the MC-130J then set up a Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP), enabling the AC-130J from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, to approach, land, refuel, rearm, and take off once more. The primary goal of this exercise was to validate AFSOC's capability to operate in remote environments with minimal infrastructure. Meaning in wartime it can land and be refueled and rearmed at short notice in hostile or neutral territory - well away from any base. “Emerald Warrior FTX II sends a clear message to our adversaries that we can engage them anytime, anyplace, anywhere, without the need for traditional runways,” remarked Col. Patrick Dierig, 1st SOW commander. “By landing an AC-130J on a highway and conducting FARP, we’re proving our ability to operate in remote and unique environments. It underscores our commitment to maintaining operational flexibility and readiness, ensuring we can deliver decisive airpower whenever and wherever it’s needed.”

Keywords: planes,aircraft,landing,feature,air force

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