On August 4, 2024, the US Air Force Special Operations Command successfully landed an AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship on Highway 63 in Bono, Arkansas, in a historic first. This operation was a component of Emerald Warrior Field Training Exercise II, a more extensive exercise that was intended to demonstrate the Agile Combat Employment capabilities of AFSOC.
The exercise afforded participating units the chance to enhance their abilities and further the ongoing pathfinding and experimentation endeavors within AFSOC.
Special Tactics Airmen from the 1st Special Operations Wing established and secured a landing zone on the highway throughout the morning.
A C-146A Wolfhound and an MC-130J Commando II from the 492nd Special Operations Wing landed on the five-lane highway shortly thereafter.
The AC-130J, assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, made its approach, landed, refueled, rearmed, and took off again. Subsequently, the MC-130J crew established a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP).
The primary objective of this exercise was to verify the ability of AFSOC to operate in austere environments with minimal infrastructure. The ACE framework necessitated the execution of FARP operations and the security of the landing zone, which were both critical duties.
Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of 1 SOW, stated that Emerald Warrior FTX II serves as a testament to the adversaries that the force is capable of confronting them at any time, in any location, without the necessity of conventional runways to deploy air power. The force is demonstrating its capacity to operate in austere and distinctive environments by landing an AC-130J on a highway and conducting FARP, he added.
The successful completion of this exercise demonstrates AFSOC’s dedication to developing its capabilities and adapting to emergent threats.
