AC-130J Ghostrider. Photo: AFSOC
For the first time in history, an AC-130J Ghostrider landed and took off from a highway during a recent exercise, the U.S. Air Force reported.
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This maneuver is part of a strategic effort by the U.S. military to reduce reliance on traditional runways and established bases, which would be priority targets in a future conflict, such as a possible Pacific war against China.
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The operation raises questions about the role and missions of the AC-130J in high-intensity combat, after two decades focused on counterterrorism and low-intensity operations.
The AC-130J involved in the operation landed and took off on a section of US Highway 63 in Bono, Arkansas, on August 4, as part of the Emerald Warrior Field Training Exercise II (FTX II). Other participating aircraft included the special operations tanker MC-130J Commando II, the special operations light transport aircraft C-146A Wolfhound, and the standard C-130H cargo plane.
Except for the C-130H, all aircraft were from Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) units. The C-130H was from the 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard.
“This exercise is a significant milestone for AFSOC, demonstrating our ability to operate in diverse and austere environments,” said Sergeant Robert Gallagher of the AFSOC Air Command Development Center and lead planner for the highway operations, in an official statement. “By leveraging ACE concepts, we enhance our operational flexibility and resilience.”
ACE, or Agile Combat Employment, refers to a set of operational concepts centered on expeditionary and distributed deployments, occurring at irregular intervals and across an increasing number of locations. The main function of ACE is to complicate enemy targeting and reduce friendly force vulnerability by operating unpredictably.
Operating in remote and austere environments, such as highways, is essential in current ACE planning. Air Force special operations aircraft like MC-130Js and C-146As, as well as conventional aircraft like the A-10 Warthog and C-130, have been conducting regular highway operations training. MQ-9 Reaper drones have also participated in similar exercises.
The AC-130J is equipped with a 30mm automatic cannon and a 105mm howitzer, as well as a variety of guided bombs and missiles, including the GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bomb and the AGM-176 Griffin missile.
Video: Reproduction from Twitter @thenewarea51 – Source and images: AFSOC. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.