PolskiFrom 25 to 29 September 2023, a military exercise code-named ROUTE 604 took place on the highway airfield section of provincial road 604 between Ruskowo and Przezdzięk Wielki. in Poland.
Exercise ROUTE 604 is an airborne training exercise using the highway airfield section and is designed to practice landing and take-off procedures for military aircraft on the public road in order to allow military to operate even after the destruction of the home base in the event of a critical situation. These are the first military exercises in such form in 20 years!
At the section, aviation tasks were carried out by:
- aircraft from the 1st Tactical Air Wing MiG-29 and Su-22
- F-16 fighters from 2nd Tactical Air Wing
- transport aircraft C-130, C-295 and M-28 from the 3rd Air Transport Wing
- M-346 training aircraft from the 4th Air Training Wing.
The tasks were carried out not only by the pilots, but also by the engineering and supporting personnel required to secure the aircraft, the military fire brigade, logisticians, JTAC, as well as other branches of Armed Forces.
On 25 September, the tasks were carried out by the 1st and 2nd Tactical Air Wing, while on 26 September crews from the 1st Tactical Air Wing and the 4th Air Training Wing were active. On 27 September, transport aircraft from the 3rd Transport Aviation Wing took over the section, while on 29 September pilots from fighters, training and transport aircraft jointly used the section for flight training on the occasion of DV and Media Day.
Contrary to popular belief, even an ordinary public road can be a site used for military aircraft landings and take-offs. The purpose of road airfield sections is to act as reserve airfields for the military. Highway Arifield Sections should meet certain requirements – to be a paved road and suitable for take-off and landing of military aircraft. Each such section has widenings on both sides creating parking areas where machines can be refuelled and armed.
