Video shows F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Oklahoma National Guard in Tulsa, OK, testing a newly installed barrier arresting system at the Tulsa International Airport.
Tailhook landings by land-based aircraft are used in emergency situations to arrest a plane experiencing a failure that could imply a braking malfunction.
Some drones use a similar system to be recovered by ground crews in Afghanistan.
Oklahoma ANG’s 138th Fighter Wing F-16s tested two aircraft arresting systems on Tulsa joint-use Runway 08/26 by simulating a malfunctioning aircraft on approach requiring the aircraft to engage the arresting cable at 120 knots (138 mph).
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Known as BAK 12/14s, the arresting system utilizes a retractable cable support system that gives air traffic controllers the ability to raise and lower the 1 1/4-inch diameter cable below the pavement as needed.
According to Garver, a construction company involved with the project works at Tulsa, the cable system has a runout of 1,200 feet and can stop a jet traveling up to 180 knots (207 mph).
