IAF emergency exercise of fighter jets, transport aircraft held on Purvanchal expressway airstrip

By Usman Kidwai

Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 24 : The Indian Air Force fighter jet and transport aircraft performed an emergency exercise on the Purvanchal expressway airstrip on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, District Magistrate Sultanpur Jasjeet Kaur said, "Around 10 jets and aircraft performed a touch-and-go exercise on the airstrip in which one AN32 (Transport aircraft) completely landed on the airstrip."

"This is an emergency exercise performed by IAF to check the quality and strength of the airstrip so that emergency jets could easily land and go on the airstrip," said the DM.

She said that the Mirage fighter jet, Jaguar jet and Antonov AN32 were part of the exercise.

"Today's IAF emergency exercise was performed in the presence of senior IAF officials and ground staff. Mirage fighter jet, Jaguar jet and Antonov AN32 were part of today's exercise," said Jasjeet Kaur.

She further said Sukhoi was also part of today's exercise but due to bad weather conditions in Bareilly, it couldn't make for today's event as it was scheduled from Bareilly.

For today's event, an area of 5 kilometres of Purvanchal expressway near Sultanpur was under repair since June 11, all the dividers were removed from the area of the airstrip for the safe and secure landing-and-go of aircraft.

The first IAF exercise on the Purvanchal expressway was performed on November 16, 2021, just before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.