The Indian Air Force (IAF) will carry out a trial on Friday on the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A 3.5-km airstrip will host take-off and landing drills, involving advanced aircrafts such as Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, SU-30 MKI, MiG-29, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and MI-17 V5 helicopters. The exercise aims to evaluate the expressway’s viability as an alternative runway during wartime or national emergencies.

This is the first airstrip in India designed to support both day and night fighter jet operations. Hence, the event will be held in two phases: daytime drills and night operations from 7 pm to 10 pm. Fighter jets will perform low fly-pasts at one metre above the strip, followed by take-off and landing exercises. Around 250 CCTV cameras have been installed for surveillance. Meanwhile, IAF has taken control of the airstrip, working closely with Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).

Ganga Expressway will be the fourth in UP to feature an airstrip, following those on the Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand expressways. The trial will also serve as a training and rehearsal base for the IAF.