Watch: Mirage 2000 fighter jets land on Lucknow-Agra Expressway

The exercise was conducted near Bangarmau in Unnao

Twenty aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), including AN-32 transport, Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi 30 MKI, made a touchdown on the Lucknow Agra Expressway on Tuesday.

Two AN-32 transport and fighter planes such as Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Sukhoi 30 MKI are taking part in the exercise.The AN-32 are meant for humanitarian assistance and relief operations during floods or any other natural calamity.

Latest Current Affairs : The exercise was conducted near Bangarmau in Unnao.

The IAF's touchdown exercise, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Government, is the first official IAF exercise on the expressway, which was inaugurated in November last year.

"It is for the first time any transport aircraft will land and then take off from the expressway. The AN-32 are meant for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during floods or any other natural calamity," PRO, Defence (Central Command), Gargi Malik Sinha told PTI.

On November 21, six Mirage and Sukhoi jets had presented airshow and conducted their maiden training on its 3.3 km long specially built runway in Unnao district near Kanpur. Then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and then ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav were present during the air show.

For October 24 exercise, a stretch of the 302-km long expressway would be closed for traffic during October 20-24. The training will help the IAF pilots to get acclimatise to the landing and takeoff exercise using public highways/expressway during emergency or war situations. Read More