NEW DELHI: Activating one other highway stretch to operate as an airstrip for navy functions if required, IAF has performed operations of supersonic fighter jets and transport plane on an emergency touchdown facility (ELF) on nationwide highway-16 in Andhra Pradesh.
Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and Hawk superior jet trainers efficiently carried out “low overshoots”, whereas AN-32 and Dornier transport plane landed and subsequently took off from the airstrip close to Addanki in Bapatla district on Monday.
Such ELF airstrips with “reinforced cement concrete construction” on nationwide highways or expressways can present operational flexibility throughout conflicts, alternate runways for emergency landings and assist humanitarian help and catastrophe aid (HADR) missions in far-flung areas, a senior officer mentioned.
The 4.1-km lengthy and 33-meter huge airstrip on NH-16 was constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as per IAF specs. It’s the fourth such ELF out of the 28 recognized by IAF for navy operations.
They embrace 5 in Assam; 4 in West Bengal; three every in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan; two every in Bihar, Haryana, J&Okay and Tamil Nadu; and one every in Punjab and UP.
“Pakistan Air Force destroyed some of our fighters by bombing our air bases during the 1965 and 1971 wars. In such contingencies, ELFs can be used for unhindered air operations using mobile air traffic and radar control, refuelling and armament-loading facilities. They can even be used during night with temporary lights,” the officer mentioned.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe, in flip, mentioned activation of the ELF on NH-16 confirmed “the high level of synergy and liaison” between the pressure and civil businesses like NHAI, district administration and state police in the direction of conduct of complicated multifaceted operations.
“While some other airstrips are already operational in other parts of the country, this ELF has been recently operationalised in peninsular India. The IAF is working jointly with the ministry of road transport and highways to create ELFs at suitable locations,” he added.
In September 2021, as an illustration, a 3-km lengthy ELF was inaugurated on the western entrance with Pakistan on the Satta-Gandhav stretch on NH-925A close to Barmer in Rajasthan.
Earlier, in 2016-2017, Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage-2000 and Jaguar fighters had performed their first operations on the ELF on the Agra-Lucknow expressway within the Unnao district of UP, with Garud commandos additionally being inserted and extricated by the C-130J Super Hercules plane. The same 3.3-km-long ELF has additionally come up on the Purvanchal Expressway.
Pakistan and a number of other different nations like Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, Finland, Switzerland, Poland and Singapore even have devoted stretches on their highways and expressways for plane to land and take off in emergencies or war-like occasions.