IAF aircraft carry out trial landings on Lucknow-Agra Expressway
Three Mirage 2000 and three Su-30 aircraft of the Indian Air Force carried out a ‘touch and go’ on a portion of the newly constructed Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Novenmber 21, 2016. 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 the operations is located at Ganj Moradabad in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh.
Air Marshal S.B.P. Sinha, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command, was present at the venue to oversee the operations. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav along with a number of military and civil dignitaries witnessed this unique feat by our air warriors.
The aim of the exercise is to check feasibility of expressways being used as alternate airstrips in case of dire emergencies or non-availability of runway for any reason.
The entire operation began with the first three Mirages coming overhead at around 1300 hours and culminated with a touch and go by the final Su-30 fighter jet around 1330 hours.