In a first for military aviation in the country, Indian Air Force successfully test-landed a French Dassault Mirage-2000 on the Yamuna Expressway near Raya village, Mathura, at about 6.40 am.
The drill was part of more elaborate trials to see how many other highways can be used for emergency landing of defence aircraft.The next stretch on sight is three km of the Agra-Lucknow Greenfield Expressway .
Better known as `Vajra' or `Thunderbolt' in the IAF, the multi-role fighter landed on the six-lane expressway close to the venue of a scheduled rally on May 25 that will have PM Narendra Modi talking about his first year in office.
Later in the day , the IAF said in a statement that the Mirage-2000 took off from a base in central India and made a trial approach on the highway to explore the feasibility of using it in emergency. “It came down to a height of 100 meters before landing off the next approach.The operations were conducted with active support from the government of Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna Expressway Authority , toll authorities of JP Infratech and the Mathura police.“
There were several sorties by IAF helicopters before the jet, a single seater powered by a single engine that can attain a maximum speed of 2,495 kmhr (Mach 2.3), landed on a desolate patch that had been cleared for traffic.
The aim behind test-landing a Mirage-2000 fighter on the Yamuna Expressway was to use national highways during emergencies as well as conflict situations if required. Though several countries, ranging from China and Pakistan to Sweden and Germany , have such “road runways“, it was the first time that such a trial run was held in India. “If an airbase is under attack or bombed during a war, the IAF will need a proper surface from which it can continue to operate,“ said a senior officer.
Flown by Wing Commander Prashant Arora from the “Tigers“ squadron based at Gwalior, the French-origin Mirage-2000 first made “a practice approach“ 100-metre over the highway . Then, after tearing back into the sky , the supersonic jet returned to finally touch down on the road at about 6.40 am.
“It taxied for some distance before taking off again in a `roller' mode,“ the senior officer said. “The aim is to activate such road runways on different highways around the country , which we are in the process of identifying. Facilities such as a make-shift air traffic control, safety services, rescue vehicles, bird clearances parties and other requirements were set up by our personnel from the Agra Air Force Station for the mission on Thursday ,“ he added.
Incidentally , this came close after two Mirage-2000 fighters landed on an airstrip in Saifai village in Etawah on Saturday . The IAF had earlier held extensive meetings with the UP government to convert a 3-km stretch of the Yamuna Expressway into a road run way for fighters.
IAF's fleet of 50 multi-role Mirage-2000 fighters, which are also tasked with nuclear weapons delivery , are now being progressively upgraded with advanced avionics and long-range missiles.
While the first two Mirage-2000s were handed over to the IAF in March after being upgraded in France, the others will be progressively souped-up by HAL with technology transfer under the overall Rs.17,547 crore programme finalized in 2011-2012.
Soon, helicopters may land and take off from complexes that will come up along the national highways (NHs). The road transport ministry has approved a plan to develop such wayside amenities at every 50 km and most sites will have helipad facility for any emergency situation including a disaster.
Sources said wayside amenities along the Yamuna Expressway have provision for helipads, primarily for evacuation purpose in case of a mishap. They added only 25x25 sqm space is required for building a helipad. “The helipad must have space to write a big H and we need to put a windsock to help detect how the wind is blowing so that a pilot can prepare landing,“ said an executive who was associated with the Yamuna Expressway project. A road transport ministry official said though the plan is to develop 1,440 wayside amenities in two phases -one at every 100 km in case of divided highways and 50 km in case of undivided corridors -all of them may not get helipads. Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that works will start soon to build such complexes, which can also be named as “highway village“ allowing locals to run them. “This facility can also be utilized for tourism purpose,“ said a ministry official.
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