VIDEO: IAF’s fighter aircraft lands successfully on Yamuna Expressway as part of trial run

Initially, the aircraft made a practice approach on the runway by descending to a height of 100 metres, before landing in its next approach.

Indian Air Force officers at the site before the landing (Photo Courtesy: Sitanshu Kar/Twitter)

“The capability was demonstrated by IAF on 21 May, 2015, by a Mirage 2000 aircraft which got airborne from one of the IAF bases in central India,” a statement by the IAF said.

The plan was under-development for months, sources said. Most recently, an IAF delegation led by Air Officer Commanding in Chief of Central Air Command K S Gill had also met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to discuss the move.

Officials said the smooth landing of the jet was made possible by the makeshift Air Traffic Control, rescue vehicles, safety services, bird clearance parties which were readied in a short span of time. “There are plans to have more such active runways for landing… In war/conflict situations, air force stations are the first targets. Such active runways facilitate the landing of fighter jets in war-like situations… The type of aircraft that lands on the runway is determined by the bearing capability of the road surface. Now that we have demonstrated the capability to land a lighter jet, a heavier jet such as Sukhoi-30 MKI, too, can be made to land,” said an official.