Amid heightened tensions along the India-Pakistan border, all eyes are on Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, where the Indian Air Force has commenced fighter jet landing exercises on the airstrip built along the Ganga Expressway. The powerful roars of Mirage, Rafale, Sukhoi, and Jaguar fighters dominate the skies, unruffled by the enemy. Currently, the Air Force is showcasing its strength on the Ganga Expressway, with fighter jets rehearsing their landing and take-off maneuvers on the 3.5 km runway. In the event of war-like emergencies, this expressway’s airstrip could serve as an alternative airbase.
Uttar Pradesh's Ganga Expressway stands as the state's fourth expressway with an incorporated airstrip. However, this is India’s premier expressway equipped for night landing capabilities. Daytime trials have begun, with plans to conduct night landing trials soon. This expressway is being constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 36,230 crore, stretching over 594 kilometers from Meerut to Prayagraj. Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the site, with nearly 80% of the work completed.
Remarkably, amidst escalating preparations in response to recent threats, Home Minister Amit Shah vowed to retaliate for the Pahalgam attack. Complementing these initiatives, the Air Force's exercises with Rafale, Sukhoi, and Jaguar jets confirm India's stern message. Meanwhile, the Navy is honing its skills in the Arabian Sea using warships, while the Army intensifies its efforts to eliminate terrorists comprehensively.
Impressive Display of Airforce Fighter Jets on Ganga Expressway
The strategic deployment happened last Friday at around 12:30 PM when the Air Force's AN-32 aircraft descended onto Shahjahanpur's Jalalabad airstrip, circling for about five minutes before making a landing. By 1 PM, the aircraft had taken off, giving way to more arriving jets. Excitingly, for the first time ever, fighter jets will undertake night landings on a highway, invariably closing the Katara-Jalalabad highway during this demonstration.
Source: aajtak
A Strategically Significant Location
From a defense standpoint, Shahjahanpur holds tremendous significance, primarily due to its proximity to the Nepalese border and its route to China's border with Nepal, thereby augmenting its strategic importance. Because of this, the area is equipped for both day and night landings. Militarily, this strip can be utilized during emergencies.
In today’s trial, the Air Force deployed several aircraft including the Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Mig-29, and Jaguar fighters, accompanied by the C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32 transport planes, and MI-17 helicopters. These aircraft are deemed indispensable for missions involving warfare, relief, rescue, and special operations.
Previously, mock war exercises were conducted on the Purvanchal Expressway and Lucknow-Agra Expressway. However, Ganga Expressway’s current exercise marks its first occurrence across both day and night sessions.
