What Are IAF Planes Doing On UP Expressway?
The Indian Air Force demonstrates its advanced operational readiness by activating an emergency-landing facility on the Purvanchal expressway in Uttar Pradesh, showcasing the strategic importance of highway airstrips for national security and disaster response.
IMAGE: An IAF jet takes off during a drill by the Indian Air Force on the Purvanchal expressway in Sultanpur on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The Indian Air Force activated an emergency-landing facility on the Purvanchal expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for a day-and-night exercise. The drill involved fighter jets (Jaguar, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI), Mi-17 V5 helicopters, military transport aircraft (C-295, AN-32), and Garud commandos. The exercise aimed to demonstrate operational readiness and validate standard operating procedures for emergency activation of such facilities. The event was held ahead of the one-year anniversary of Operation Sindoor, India's military reprisal after a terrorist attack.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) activated an emergency-landing facility on a highway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday in a bid to demonstrate its operational readiness.
A fleet of fighter jets (Jaguar, Mirage-2000 and Sukhoi-30 MKI), Mi-17 V5 helicopters and military transport aircraft (C-295 and AN-32), as well as a Garud commando team participated in the day-and-night exercise on the Purvanchal expressway in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.
IMAGE: An IAF An-32 aircraft lands on the Purvanchal expressway during an Indian Air Force drill in Sultanpur on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo Strategic Importance of Highway Airstrips
The event was held ahead of the one-year anniversary of Operation Sindoor (May 7), India's military reprisal after the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 last year, which the government said had links to Pakistan.
The IAF along with the local civilian administration validated the standard operating procedures for the emergency activation of such emergency-landing facilities, in the shortest possible time both by day and by night, an IAF media statement said.
IMAGE: The Indian Air Force's Garud commandos in action during the drill on the Purvanchal expressway in Sultanpur on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo Boosting Operational Flexibility
It boosts the IAF's capability to undertake operations even when standard runways are unavailable, the IAF added.
'These strategically developed airstrips on national expressways substantially augment operational flexibility and serve as critical force multiplier during emergencies, reinforcing national security and disaster response capabilities.'
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