Touchandgo on LucknowAgra expressway
BREATHTAKING LANDINGS IAF’s 17 planes take part in touchdown exercise on expressway near Bangarmau
LUCKNOW: In a spectacular display, as many as 17 planes of the Indian Air Force (IAF) took part in an aircraft touchdown exercise on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway near Bangarmau in Unnao district, 55 kms from Lucknow, on Tuesday.
The drill carried out on a 33-meter-wide (that is half the width of a regular air strip) and 3.3-km-long section of the expressway was said to be biggest such exercise so far on a highway where a large number of aircraft, especially the heavy duty C-130J Super Hercules took part.
“Touchdown on a narrow highway-turned-airstrip and taking off from short runways is not an easy task. It requires hours of training and good flying skills,” said a senior IAF officer.
The officer said it’s an important exercise. In times of war, the designated airstrips often remain the prime target of the enemy.
In such circumstances, these highways-turned-airstrips (also called taxi tracks) are of great support.
“It is perhaps for the same reason why we continue to practice on such thin tracks – that are half the width of the normal airstrip,” added the IAF officer.
The exercise started at 10:03 am when C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft hit the highway. In a short landing, one of the most versatile planes capable of landing with troops and equipment at advanced landing grounds with short runways, landed with Garud commandos and their vehicles.
After disembarking from the aircraft, the commandos took their positions on either side of the highway-turned-airstrip to cordon it off for fighter operations that followed.
It was followed by three Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft, two formations of three aircrafts each of Mirages and two formations of three aircraft each of Sukhoi-30 that left the crowd in awe.
It was followed by touchdown exercise by the French origin Mirage 2000 or Vajra.
Sukhoi 30MKI came next where the twin engine machines displayed good maneuverability and unique combat capabilities.
Then came the Jaguar, the aircraft known as ‘Flaming Arrows’. In the drill, the twinengine machine, supersonic allweather fighter aircraft carried out a flypast in V form and also performed several other formations.
“It’s thrilling to watch these magnificent machines. It was a great show that will inspire many like me to be a part of IAF,” said a college-goer, who came all the way from Lucknow to witness the touchdown exercise.
The exercise culminated with the return of C-130J that made another short landing to extricate the on-guard Garud commandos.
The exercise on LucknowAgra Expressway is said to be a part of state government’s plan to identify and develop highways, which can be used as runways in case of emergency landings.
This was the fourth touchdown exercise in UP.
In November 2016, IAF had landed seven of its Sukhoi and Mirage 2000 planes on the Unnao section of 302-km-long expressway that was among the prime projects of the former Samajwadi Party (SP) government.
The expressway was completed in record time of 22 months and was inaugurated by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Prior to this, IAF had also carried out the aircraft touchdown exercise on Saifai village airstrip and on Yamuna Expressway in 2015.
“About 17 aircraft took part in the touchdown and short landing exercise. It was also a rare show as never before such a large number of aircraft have participated in any such exercise on a highway,” said public relations officer, defence, Gargi Malik Sinha.