Lucknow:
The Indian Air Force on Wednesday activated the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh for a two-day emergency landing exercise. The drill, conducted to test the military’s capability to use national infrastructure as alternative runways during wars, entailed aircraft performing the breathtaking touch-and-go manoeuvres on a stretch of the expressway.
A diverse fleet of aircraft, including Jaguar, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI, C-295 and AN-32, alongside Mi-17 V5 helicopter, took part in the exercise.
Troops slithered down from an Mi-17 helicopter to conduct ground drills on the road. Fighter aircraft performed the touch-and-go manoeuvre, demonstrating the Indian Air Force’s landing and takeoff capabilities on the highway.
A troop slithering down a helicopter on the expressway.
Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, one of the mainstays of the IAF’s air power, performed key manoeuvres, including coordinated aerial operations.
Highlighting its utility for logistics and rapid deployment operations, an Airbus C295 transport aircraft also landed on the expressway.
The Purvanchal Expressway, one of Uttar Pradesh’s flagship infrastructure projects, was designed keeping in mind India’s strategic requirements. Many sections of the expressway can be used as make-shift airstrips during wars and calamities.
Fighter jets are taking part in the exercise.
The exercise simulated an emergency when airbases — usually the first target of bombs and missiles — aren’t available, and highways have to be used as landing strips.
It has also demonstrated the professional flying skills of IAF’s aircrew and the capability of its ground crew in activating such expressway airstrips at short notice.
Similar Exercises In The Past
A similar exercise was conducted in 2023 on the expressway, when around 10 jets and aircraft performed a touch-and-go manoeuvres on the airstrip.
Aircraft like the Mirage fighter jet, Jaguar jet and Antonov AN32 had taken part in the exercise then.
During the previous exercise, an area of 5 kilometres of the expressway near Sultanpur was cleared, with the authorities removing dividers from the road.
Sixteen planes of the Indian Air Force performed landings and touch-and-go manoeuvres on a stretch of the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in 2017.