A US Air Force C-130J Super Hercules has landed on a taxiway at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, marking the first time an aircraft has landed at the installation without using one of its runways, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The landing was carried out on 18 August by an aircrew from the 37th Airlift Squadron during a wing exercise known as Knight LZ. According to the US Air Force, the exercise was intended to test an alternative method of recovering aircraft if Ramstein’s normal runways were unavailable.
The C-130J used an existing taxiway for the landing, allowing aircrew and personnel on the ground to practise operating from a part of the airfield not normally used for aircraft arrivals.
Colonel Matthew Wunderlich, commander of the 86th Operations Group, said: “This capability is more than just landing on a taxiway. It demonstrates our ability to adapt, to work together, and continue generating airpower when conditions change.”
He added: “This creativity and resiliency is essential to maintaining our readiness, increasing strategic options, and fulfilling the mission.”
Several units at Ramstein supported the exercise, including the 86th Security Forces Squadron, 86th Operations Support Squadron, 37th Airlift Squadron and 721st Aerial Port Squadron. The activity required coordination between the aircrew and personnel responsible for airfield operations, security and ground support before the aircraft could conduct the unconventional landing.
Captain Ty Millsap, 86th Operations Support Squadron Chief of Wing Tactics, said: “Exercises like this allow our aircrew and support teams to build the experience and confidence needed to operate in a contingency environment.”
He continued: “It takes coordination across the installation to safely execute an exercise like this, and that coordination is what makes us ready for the unexpected.”
Ramstein Air Base is one of the United States’ largest military aviation installations in Europe and supports airlift, logistics and command activity for US forces operating across the continent and further afield. The 37th Airlift Squadron operates the C-130J from Ramstein as part of the 86th Airlift Wing. The aircraft is used for tactical airlift missions involving personnel and cargo and can operate from shorter and less developed airfields than larger strategic transport aircraft.
The C-130J is the current production version of the Hercules family and incorporates updated engines, avionics and flight systems compared with earlier models. The type is routinely used by the US Air Force for tactical transport missions and can move troops, equipment and supplies into locations where larger aircraft cannot operate. The Knight LZ exercise focused specifically on Ramstein’s ability to continue aircraft operations if its normal runway infrastructure could not be used.
The 18 August flight was the first recorded aircraft landing on a taxiway at the base, according to the 86th Airlift Wing. Following the landing, the participating units used the exercise to validate the procedures required to coordinate airfield access, aircraft movements and support activity around the alternative landing area.
