The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday initiated its much-awaited "land and go" drill on a 3.5-km stretch of the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.
This drill marks a significant advancement in India’s defence preparedness and introduces the first expressway airstrip in the country capable of supporting both day and night fighter jet landings.
Until now, the IAF had conducted similar emergency landing drills on the Lucknow-Agra and Purvanchal expressways. However, those operations were confined to daytime activity. The Shahjahanpur stretch of the Ganga Expressway is the first in the country specifically designed to enable round-the-clock operations.
A wide range of IAF aircraft are participating in the exercise, including Rafale, SU-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and the MI-17 V5 helicopter. These aircraft will perform low fly-pasts, landings, and take-offs during both daylight and night hours to validate the operational capacity of the airstrip.
According to a statement released on Thursday, "This will be the first airstrip in the country designed to support day and night landings of fighter aircraft, making it a strategic asset for defence preparedness. It will also serve as the Air Force's training and rehearsal base."
To ensure seamless execution and maximum safety, over 250 CCTV cameras have been installed on both sides of the airstrip. Operational control of the site has been handed over to the IAF, with coordination efforts led by Air Force personnel and the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
The district administration confirmed that the drill would be conducted in two phases—during the day and again at night—to evaluate the expressway's performance in low-light conditions. Fighter jets are expected to fly just one meter above ground level for fly-past demonstrations, followed by landing and take-off sequences. The night-time phase is scheduled between 7 PM and 10 PM.
“This will be the first such airstrip in the country,” highlighting the expressway’s unparalleled design and its role in bolstering national defence infrastructure.
Top state and defence officials were present to monitor the operation, and the event drew spectators from nearby schools and villages who gathered to witness the aircraft maneuvers.
Once complete, the Ganga Expressway will be Uttar Pradesh’s fourth expressway to host an emergency airstrip. However, it will be the first in the state and the country to offer full night landing capability—ushering in a new level of 24/7 preparedness.
Officials from the state government emphasized that the success of this trial would demonstrate the strategic value of the Ganga Expressway as an emergency alternative runway. It is also expected to boost the Indian Air Force’s operational flexibility during wartime or national crises.
This exercise, according to defence experts, reflects a growing civil-military synergy and represents a new phase in using critical infrastructure like expressways to reinforce the country’s military strategy.