US War Planes Landing on US Highways

a reply to: namehere

It's not.

originally posted by: namehere
why are they doing this for the first time now? what prompted this i wonder..

I think I know why the A10s are involved.

One last gift to CCP from Donald J. Trump.



No idea about the rest.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Type1338

My brother in Utah told me about stretches of highway built with think enough concrete to use as runways.
I don't remember when he told me but it was many years ago so this isn't a new concept.

Every interstate highway in the country.

And quite a few state highways.

I still like Ike.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Type1338

My brother in Utah told me about stretches of highway built with think enough concrete to use as runways.
I don't remember when he told me but it was many years ago so this isn't a new concept.

There is an entire network of stretches of highways designed specifically for the ability to launch and land military aircraft. Our major highway arteries are intentionally designed to move large volumes of military equipment from one coast to the other.

If you read the opening line in my post it states this is the first time we've actually landed US warplanes on highways built for automobiles. We've never done this until recently. Designed for and doing are two very different things.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: namehere

It's not.

Wrong, again. We've never intentionally landed US warplanes on US highways built specifically for automobiles. You're conflating design versus actual use.

We have designed our main coast to coast highways as an alternative means of moving large volumes of military equipment for defense purposes. We've designed specific areas of US highways for the alternative use of landing and launching military aircraft for defense purposes.

Until recently, we have never carried out training operations intentionally landing US warplanes on US highways.

a reply to: BabblingBlueBook

And the autobahn was inspired by the old road network of the Roman empire who specifically designed their roads to carry large volumes of troops and equipment. Pretty simple really. If you can move large volumes of personnel and equipment across vast distances at an efficient and expedited rate you can conquer the world.

originally posted by: Type1338
a reply to: BabblingBlueBook

And the autobahn was inspired by the old road network of the Roman empire who specifically designed their roads to carry large volumes of troops and equipment. Pretty simple really. If you can move large volumes of personnel and equipment across vast distances at an efficient and expedited rate you can conquer the world.

Or defend a continent.

a reply to: Type1338

Until recently, we have never carried out training operations intentionally landing US warplanes on US highways.

Fair enough. But apparently we've landed on European highways. Good to know that ours meet the same standards.

Is that an interstate the warthog is landing on? I bet some people were pissed about having to detour.

a reply to: namehere

It's the first time in the US. This type of training has taken place in Europe for years. It puts a lot of wear and tear on aircraft doing ferry flights to Europe, then doing this training, then coming back. It was a test to see if we could do it here, and save time on the airframes.

a reply to: Nunyabizisit

The A-10s are involved because there's essentially zero risk of FOD damaging an engine, and they don't have to sweep the road, then do a FOD walk before the planes land.

a reply to: Phage

It was the M-32.

Always heard two things about the Interstate system, and it's defense purpose. The first is that each direction of the highway must be wide enough for two of the widest combat vehicles to travel side by side, and the second is that every x number of miles there must be at least one completely straight mile for use as an emergency airstrip. It's nether a surprise or a myth that our highways have a dual civilian and military purpose.

a reply to: jefwane

The bit about the interstate requiring one mile in five to be straight, to use as a runway is an old myth. There was no requirement for that. The main reason it was built was civilian related. The DoD supported it, because they saw the benefits, but when it was originally proposed, it was for purely civilian reasons.