IAF conducts day-night landings of Rafale, Mirage, and C-130J on Ganga Expressway airstrip amid India-Pakistan tensions.
Indian Air Force (IAF) (Image:DC)
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday demonstrated its military prowess with frontline fighter aircraft — including Rafale, Jaguar, and Mirage — conducting take-off and landing exercises on a 3.5-kilometre-long airstrip in Shahjahanpur, part of the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
The exercise was aimed at assessing the expressway’s potential to serve as an alternative runway during wartime or national emergencies. Notably, this is India’s first airstrip designed for both day and night fighter jet operations.
Other IAF assets including the C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32 transport aircraft, and the Mi-17 V5 helicopter also performed take-off and landing drills. The exercise was conducted in two phases — day and night — to evaluate the airstrip’s night-landing capabilities.
The drill comes in the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocent tourists were killed.
During conflicts, enemy nations often target known airfields. Having national highways and expressways that can serve as makeshift airbases offers strategic advantages, such as dispersing aircraft to unpredictable locations and reducing vulnerability during air raids. These infrastructure assets can also be deployed for emergency and disaster management operations.
The IAF had earlier conducted mock landings on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in 2017. In 2021, a 3-km-long Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) was inaugurated on the Satta-Gandhav stretch of National Highway 925A near Barmer, Rajasthan.
Currently, around 27 additional highways are under joint evaluation by the IAF and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for potential development into emergency landing strips.
Currently, around 27 additional highways are under joint evaluation by the IAF and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for potential development into emergency landing strips.
Meanwhile, the United States has approved a potential $131 million foreign military sale to India aimed at enhancing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.
The deal includes advanced SeaVision software, training, and support services to bolster India’s Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and strengthen strategic ties. The principal contractor for the deal will be Hawkeye 360, a firm specializing in MDA technologies.
By analyzing radio frequency signals, Hawkeye 360 can detect and track "dark vessels"—those that operate without using the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This capability enhances India’s ability to monitor and prevent illegal fishing, smuggling, and other illicit maritime activities.
( Source : Asian Age )
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