In a landmark move to enhance India’s defense readiness, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct a high-profile operational trial on the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur on May 2, 2025. The exercise, involving advanced fighter jets such as Rafale, Jaguar, and Mirage, aims to test the expressway’s viability as an alternative runway during emergencies and military operations.
A 3.5-kilometer stretch of the expressway has been specially developed as an emergency airstrip, making it the fourth expressway in Uttar Pradesh equipped for military aviation use, after the Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand expressways. Uniquely, the Ganga Expressway will be the first in the state designed to support both day and night fighter jet operations, offering a significant boost to India’s tactical flexibility.
The drills will include take-off and landing trials along with low-altitude fly-pasts at just one meter above the surface. Activities are scheduled to span from morning hours until late evening, with crucial night landing tests planned between 7 PM and 10 PM.
This initiative comes in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives and triggered a renewed focus on national security and rapid military mobilization capabilities. The IAF will also deploy transport aircraft including the C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and MI-17 V5 helicopters, essential for special operations, disaster relief, and humanitarian missions.
The IAF has assumed operational control of the designated airstrip segment, working in close coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). To ensure maximum security during the drills, 250 CCTV cameras have been installed along the airstrip.
This trial reinforces the IAF’s broader strategy of utilizing dual-use infrastructure to bolster military logistics and rapid deployment capability. A similar approach was successfully demonstrated in Kargil in January 2024, when a C-130J performed a night landing on the upgraded airstrip there.
As India continues to modernize its defense infrastructure, the Ganga Expressway trial is expected to set a precedent for integrating civilian roadways into military operations, improving readiness in both conflict and crisis scenarios.
