Picture : Twitter / ANI
The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria onboard made an Emergency Field Landing at the National Highway .
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later inaugurated the Emergency Landing Facility on Satta-Gandhav stretch of National Highway 925A in Rajasthan’s Barmer. This is the first time that the National Highway will be used for emergency landing of aircraft of the IAF.
#WATCH | For the first time, a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft lands at the national highway in Jalore, Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/BVVOtCpT0H
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2021
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had developed a three kilometers section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A from Km. 41/430 to Km. 44/430 as an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force, which is part of the newly developed two-lane paved shoulder of Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav Section having a total length of 196.97 kilometers and costing of Rs 765.52 crores under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat attend a programme held on the occasion of inauguration of Emergency Field Landing at the National Highway in Jalore, Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/2lLTe7qZVA
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2021
“This project will improve connectivity between villages of Barmer and Jalore districts located on the international borders. The stretch is located in the western border area will facilitate the vigilance of the Indian Army as well as strengthen the basic infrastructure of the country,” said the official statement.
Apart from this Emergency Landing Strip, 3 helipads have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages in this project according to the requirements of the Air Force/Indian Army, which will be the basis for strengthening the security network on the country’s western border.
