Chabua: Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, including Rafales, and heavy lifters like the C-17 Globemaster will be touching down at the first highway airstrip in the northeastern part of the country on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also land on the 4.2 kilometre Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) stretch of the National Highway in the Dibrugarh district of Assam on Saturday, marking its opening, as reported by PTI.
The ELF is barely a few hundred kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The PM’s landing will be followed by a mega airshow in which 16 aircraft, including Rafales and Su-30 MKIs will participate. The ELF stretch, part of the Dibrugarh-Moran National Highway, is in Upper Assam.
The aircraft have already practiced landings and touch-and-go operations on the highway strip.
ELFs are extremely crucial during war if an air base becomes inoperable. Such highway airstrips also add to capacity.
Most ELFs in India’s are located in western, northern and central parts of the country. This is the first ELF in northeastern India, close to Air Force Station (AFS) Chabua.
The IAF and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have identified a total of 28 to 29 ELFs to be developed across India. Nearly 15 facilities are reported as ready or active across various states, as reported by India Today.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “The PM will be flying from New Delhi to Chabua Air Force base on Saturday morning. From there, he will take a flight and land at the Moran ELF in the district”.
Union minister of communications Jyotiraditya Scindia posted on X that the blending of a highway and a runway reveal India’s “strategic resolve”.
“The Dibrugarh-Moran stretch of the National Highway in Assam can transform from a seamless road into an Emergency Landing Facility for India’s frontline jets and transport,” he wrote.
Some of India’s ELFs are on the Taj Expressway, the Ganga Expressway, NH-925A in Barmer (Rajasthan) and the Purvanchal Expressway (Uttar Pradesh).
