ALGER COUNTY, Mich. (WWJ) - Aircraft from the 127th Wing based out of Selfridge Air Nation Guard Base made quite a landing on Tuesday after officials blocked off a highway in Northern Michigan to use as an airstrip during a military exercise.
Twelve A-10 Thunderbolt II touched down on M-28 as part of Northern Agility 22-1, a total-force Agile Combat Employment exercise led by the Michigan Air National Guard.
“Agile Combat Employment is the ability to project air power anytime, anywhere, in order to stay one step ahead of our adversaries,” said lead operations planner, Lt. Col. Brian Wyrzykowski, in a press release. “It’s about being able to execute missions quickly and in unpredictable ways.”
Spectators were able to watch the A-10 Thunderbolt II, Air Force Special Operations Command MC-12W, C-145A, C-146A and U-28A aircraft conducting ACE operations on the closed off highway, just east of Munising.
Related
"For the first time during highway-based operations, maintenance crews will perform a series of Integrated Combat Turns, which enable the fast rearming and refueling of a running jet to get the aircrew back in the air quickly," officials explained.
Michigan State Police rerouted eastbound traffic to H-58 to H-15 and back to M-28 -- officials reverse the route westbound traffic.
The low-flying aircraft was visible in Munising during the exercise. Officials said the 9,000-foot section of highway was closed from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. as the 12 aircraft made their landings.