Insta
An IAF Rafale during in flight refueling on its way to India. (Indian Embassy in France/Twitter)
Combat aircraft, including the top-of-the-line Rafale or Sukhoi, will soon be able to land and take off from an airstrip being developed on the 340-km long Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
The government is developing a stretch of 3.2 kilometres near Sultanpur district on the Expressway where combat aircraft can land and take off.
"The stretch is being developed in such a manner that any combat aircraft can land and take off. It is part of the Expressway and we are in regular talks with the Indian Air Force," Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government, told IANS.
Awasthi, the 1987-batch officer, is looking after expressway projects in the state.
The officer said that 85 per cent of the total work of the Purvanchal Expressway has been completed and he is hopeful that by March it will be completed fully.
In 2017, 16 Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft had performed landings and touch-and-go manoeuvres on a stretch of the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.
Back then, the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft had landed with Special Forces commandos as part of the drill.
The Centre has taken an initiative to develop roads and highways in a manner that permits combat aircraft to land and take off in times of crisis.
The Indian military has for long flagged the threat of war fro two fronts. With the disputed border with China and Pakistan active at the same point of time, the armed forces are stretched to the maximum. The government is pushing for development of infrastructure for armed forces.
The Indian Air Force, Border Road Organization, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and state governments are working together to ensure that the quality of road or expressway permits its usage for landing and takeoff of IAF aircraft.
Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office had also issued directives in this regard, after which all the stakeholders had started working in sync.
The road construction agencies have been aligning and realigning the roads and highways design in consultation with the IAF to ensure that combat jets can use this infrastructure as and when required.
This news has been published via a Syndicated feed. Only the headline is changed.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest