The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday achieved another milestone as Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an emergency landing strip at Satta-Gandhav stretch on National Highway 925 in Barmer for its planes.
The 3 km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925 has been developed as an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The defence ministry also tweeted photos of the event.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh & @MORTHIndia Shri @nitin_gadkari travelled to Barmer on C-130J to inaugurate the Emergency Landing Facility on Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A. pic.twitter.com/d3fJH7fwAq
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 9, 2021
A Hercules C-130J plane of the IAF, carrying Singh, Gadkari, and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, conducted a mock emergency landing on the national highway on Thursday. NH-925 is India’s first national highway to be used for emergency landing of IAF aircraft.
The two Ministers also witnessed multiple aircraft operations on the emergency landing facility (ELF) of NH-295.
Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet also conducted a mock emergency landing at the ELF in front of the two ministers. An-32 military transport aircraft and Mi-17v5 helicopter of the IAF also landed at the ELF, showing its complete operational readiness to act as an auxiliary military airbase.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed the 3-km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925 as an ELF for the IAF.
(With PTI inputs)