37th Airlift Squadron, 86th Operations Support Squadron execute historic highway landing in Sweden

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - The 37th Airlift Squadron achieved a historic milestone by successfully landing a C-130J Super Hercules on Highway 44 outside of Särestad, Sweden, marking the first U.S. Air Force C-130J landing on a Swedish highway system June 2.

Operating from civilian infrastructure dates back to the Cold War era where aircrew would utilize dispersed airfields for survivability. Today, this concept is a cornerstone of Agile Combat Employment, or ACE.

“It diversifies the amount of landing sites that are available to commanders and ultimately complicates the enemy's targeting solution,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Ty Millsap, 86th Airlift Wing chief of weapons and tactics. “Instead of being able to focus on just one air base, we now have a plethora of places where we can land and operate out of projected distances.”

For the Swedish Air Force, the exercise marked the first time the U.S. Air Force landed on their highway system, highlighting a growing partnership that follows Sweden’s recent accession into NATO.

“For us, it’s a strategic networking opportunity to build alliances,” said Swedish Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Mats Anderson, 73rd Tactical Airlift Squadron chief of development. “Experiences around the world have shown that if you actually spread your air force, you will survive. That’s part of this, to be able to use the highway system to take off and land.”

Landing on a civilian highway presented unique environmental and spatial challenges compared to traditional military runways. The presence of trees and power lines surrounding the road significantly tightened the tolerable space for the aircrew, leaving little room for error. To mitigate these risks, the crew rehearsed the landings and high-speed abort emergency procedures in simulators prior to the flight.

“The highways are harder to find, less lit, and much more narrow in length and width,” Millsap said. “Because it was so narrow, the aircraft couldn't make a turn so the only option there is to back up.” Adding to the complexity of the mission, the 37th AS did not rely on typical U.S. tactical landing zone safety officers. Instead, they were cleared to land by Swedish mobile air traffic controllers who coordinated airspace. Through these communication efforts, the crew was able to execute three full landings and one low approach during strict 20-minute road closure windows.

“The communication between our partners was great,” Millsap said. “Landing on a highway was neat, but getting to work with the Swedish partners was the fun part.”

The 86th Operations Support Squadron coordinated with multiple major commands and NATO to secure all necessary waivers for the Särestad highway landing zone. Following the success of this milestone, both the Swedish and U.S. Air Force plans to expand the training. Future exercises aim to bring less experienced aircrews to the Särestad highway to further develop the 86th AW’s resilient airlift capabilities and cement the relationship with NATO’s newest member.