Indian Air Force (IAF) Conducts Night Drill on Ganga Expressway, UP

Night-time combat drills involving fighter jets were successfully conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the country's first expressway airstrip, located on the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The exercise, held between 7 PM and 10 PM on Friday (2nd May), featured fighter jets such as Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, and Mirage-2000. The drill involved simulated touch-and-go landings and combat operations on the 3.5-kilometre airstrip situated in Piru village under the jurisdiction of Jalalabad Police Station.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi was quoted in the media as saying, “Multiple fighter jets carried out successful sorties as part of a night operational exercise. The drill involved precision landings, coordinated take-offs, and tactical operations by jets such as Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, and M-32.” He added, “This ensures safe operations and quick response in case of any untoward incidents.”

Due to the IAF drill, traffic was halted for nearly three hours on the Bareilly-Etawah route.

“Despite strong winds and unfavourable weather during the day, the drill was completed successfully, with the night operations proving to be smoother and more efficient,” SP Dwivedi further stated.

The drill, originally scheduled to span two days, was completed in a single night by the IAF.

According to Additional District Magistrate Arvind Kumar, the fighter jets touched down near the VIP camp area on the airstrip before taking off again. He also informed the media about the deployment of over 1,000 sanitation workers and personnel from the Panchayati Raj Department along the 40-kilometre stretch to ensure the strip remained free of obstructions.

The airstrip on the Ganga Expressway was recently inspected by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It is now fully capable of supporting fighter jet landings and operations during both day and night.

Also Read: India and France Seal Rs 63,000 Cr Deal for 26 Rafale Marine Jets