Video shows A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft being loaded with weapons on a US Highway for the first time

Video shows A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft being loaded with weapons on a US Highway for the first time

By Dario Leone
Jun 30 2022
Share this article

The exercise featured several firsts including the first time a US Air Force aircraft had weapons loaded on a public highway. The weapons used in the exercise were inactive.

The Michigan National Guard hosted an agile combat exercise just east of Munising, ALGER COUNTY, Mich. On Jun. 29, 2022.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, U-28A Draco and C-146 Wolfhound were the aircraft involved crewed by airmen representing active duty, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.

“What we’re doing here is trying to do everything we can do to stay one step from our adversaries,” Northern Agility 22-1 Exercise Director Lt. Col. Brian Wyrzykowski said. “If we can generate combat airpower from a public highway, we can do it from almost anywhere.”

According to Upper Michigans Source, the exercise featured several firsts including the first time a US Air Force aircraft had weapons (in the form of AIM-9 Sidewinders, JDAM bombs, AGM-65 Mavericks, rockets and targeting pods) loaded on a public highway. The weapons used in the exercise were inert.

107th FS A-10 print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. A-10C Thunderbolt II 127th W, 107th FS Red Devils, MI/81-994 / 100th Anniversary, 2017

“If we can operate from a highway, we are very unpredictable and very agile,” Wyrzykowski said. “That’s what we demonstrated here today where you saw the first integrated combat turns for modern combat aircraft on a public highway.”

Planes landed one by one where groups worked hard to refuel them and get each back into the air.

“There are certain types of parameters we’re looking for on a highway and this particular stretch met it,” Wyrzykowski said. “We had heard that M-28 and the Seney highway was one of the longest, flattest straightest in Michigan, so we came up here looking and found this stretch of M-28 in Munising in Alger County.”

The exercise was supposed to happen on Jun. 28 but was postponed due to poor weather.

Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II model
This model is available from AirModels! CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

“We try to do things according to plan when we can and not everything today went according to plan,” Wyrzykowski said. “Overall, we took a lot of lessons learned that we are going to be able to apply to this and other exercises going forward and agile combat deployment. By all measures, I think today was a total success.”

The National Guard performed a similar training exercise in August 2021 on highway M-32 near Alpena.

Moreover, A-10 aircraft from the Michigan National Guard previously landed on highways in Haapsalu, Estonia during exercise Saber Strike 18.

Noteworthy the Warthog can be serviced and operated from austere bases with limited facilities near battle areas. Many of the aircraft’s parts are interchangeable left and right, including the engines, main landing gear and vertical stabilizers.

Specifically designed for close air support (CAS), its combination of large and varied ordnance load, long loiter time, accurate weapons delivery, austere field capability, and survivability has proven invaluable to the US and its allies.

Photo credit: Screenshot from the Video


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. TooTall6Foot6 says:

    The more accurate term to describe the weapons used in the exercise would be “Inert” instead of “inactive”.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices