In Uttar Pradesh, the Indian Air Force conducted a take off and landing exercise on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur today. The exercise was conducted at the Arval-Kiri Karwat emergency airstrip. Fighter jets like Jaguar, Sukhoi, Mirage and Tejas and C-295 transport aircraft participated in the exercise, demonstrating coordinated take-offs and landings under operational conditions. For this exercise, approximately 12 kilometers of the expressway was closed and traffic was diverted.

Officials said that the drill was aimed at evaluating the expressways ability to function as an alternative runway during wartime or national emergencies, reinforcing country’s focus on dual-use infrastructure for defence preparedness. The administration said that this exercise is not only important from a strategic perspective, but it will also strengthen the region’s identity at the national level.