IAF jets scorch Agra-Lucknow Expressway

New Delhi: In keeping with the Indian Air Force’s stated policy of using road highway stretches as “landing strips” during emergencies, three upgraded Mirage 2000 and three Sukhoi fighters touched down on the six-lane Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Monday.

The landing and take off drill underscored two vital facts — a top quality road highway and an alternate airstrip for fighter aircraft in times of exigency located very close to the national capital.

During emergency situations like war, airstrips usually figure on the top of the enemy’s bombing targets so capability to land on road stretches assume critical value.

“The portion of the expressway used for the purpose has an RCC construction and has been reinforced and appropriately marked to facilitate aircraft landings. The portion of the Expressway used for today’s operations is located at Ganj Moradabad in Unnao District of UP,” an IAF release said.

Besides India’s neighbours China and Pakistan, many European countries have landed their fighter jets on their roads.

Pakistan, especially, has gone far in implementing this idea with its first fighter aircraft landing on the Islamabad-Lahore 16 years ago. The Islamabad-Lahore highway is reported to be equipped with four emergency sections of nearly three km each which become fully functional runway strips by removing temporary concrete blocks.

In India, the first such landing was carried out by a Mirage aircraft on the Yamuna Expressway on May 21 last year. IAF’s plan for utilisation of national highways as landing strips during eventualities is being implemented with the approval of the ministry for road transport and highways.

The 320 km Agra-Lucknow expressway — a dream project of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav — is especially constructed to handle landing and take-off facilities for IAF fighter jets. It was inaugurated Monday to coincide with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s birthday.

The expressway which will cut travelling time between New Delhi and Lucknow significantly, has been completed in a record two years time.

“It will have industries, petrol pumps and mandis along the route...On returning to power in UP, the SP government will take this expressway further till Ghazipur and Ballia in record time... it will connect one end of the state to the other,” said Akhilesh Yadav.