[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is for the first time that a transport aircraft – the Super Hercules – landed on the expressway.
Sukhois, Jaguars and Mirages of the Indian Air Force (IAF), on Tuesday, made touchdowns and takeoffs on a 4-km stretch of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh as thousands of people lined up to watch the thrilling spectacle.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The drill which showed that highways can be used as landing strips in case of any emergency involved Mirage-2000 fighters and Sukhoi 30s, besides 35,000 kg C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
The Garud Special Forces commandos secured the landing zone as part of the special drill.
The top-of-the-line Sukhoi 30s and Mirage 2000s took off after touching down on the expressway, while the US-C 130J transport aircraft landed on it.
The transport aircraft are meant for humanitarian assistance and relief operations during floods or any other natural calamity, PRO, Defence (Central Command), Gargi Malik Sinha was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. “The aircraft can bring a large amount of relief material. It can also help evacuate people,” she added.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The special drill – which lasted for nearly three hours – was meant to test the readiness of the Air Force in situations like war, humanitarian assistance or disaster relief.
The exercise began with IAFs Special Forces Garud commandos getting off the C-130J transport aircraft with their vehicle and taking “positions” on either side of the expressway to secure “their airstrip” for the fighter aircraft.
The exercise simulated an emergency situation when airbases, the first target of bombs and missiles during conflict, would not be available for air operations, necessitating use of highways as landing strips.
This is the first time a transport aircraft – a Super Hercules which can carry 200 commandos –landed on the expressway. Inducted into the Air Force in 2010, each plane costs nearly Rs 900 crore. However, in November 2016, a similar drill involving eight fighter planes was conducted a few days before the inauguration of the 302-km Expressway by the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Mirage-2000 fighters and Sukhoi-30 MKI, which form the backbone of the IAFs fighter fleet, have landed on the Yamuna Expressway in the past.
A Mirage-2000 had landed on the Yamuna Expressway near Delhi for the first time in 2015. A similar exercise was conducted in May 2016, when a Mirage-2000 fighter plane touched down on the expressway.
The Expressway has been thrown out of bounds for vehicular traffic for the past few days in view of the drill.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]