Night Landing Airstrip in UP | 02 May 2025

Why in News?  

The 3.5 kilometre stretch of the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh will be the first expressway in the country where Indian Air Force fighter planes will be able to land at night. 

Key Points 

  • About Ganga Expressway : 
    • Ganga Expressway is the second longest expressway in the country after Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. 
    • It is an ambitious initiative with an estimated length of 594 kilometres. 
    • Connecting the state from east to west, this expressway will pass through 518 villages in 12 districts, significantly reducing the travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj. 
  • Strategic Approach: 
    • Uttar Pradesh now has three such expressways where landing facility for fighter jets is available - Lucknow-Agra Expressway , Purvanchal Expressway and Ganga Expressway. 
    • This is the first time that state-of-the-art fighter aircraft like Rafale, Mirage and Jaguar will land at night on an expressway in India . 
    • This airstrip will serve as  an alternate runway for the Indian Air Force in case of war or disaster. 

 Rafale 

  • Rafale is a French twin-engine and multirole fighter aircraft, designed by Dassault Aviation of France. 
  • State-of-the-art technology has been used in this fighter plane and it is a 4.5 Generation fighter plane. 
  • The Meteor Missile, SCALP Cruise Missile and MICA Missile System present in the Rafale fighter aircraft make it very important from the security point of view. 
  • Rafale can fly at a speed of 2,222.6 kilometres per hour and an altitude of 50,000 feet. 
  • This fighter aircraft is approximately 15.27 metres long and can carry 9,500 kilograms of bombs and ammunition at a time. 

 Jaguar 

  • The Jaguar is a versatile aircraft used for ground attack, air defense, and reconnaissance missions.   
  • It is a Fifth-generation (5G) fighter aircraft capable of operating in heavily contested combat zones, characterised by the presence of the most advanced air and ground threats, both current and anticipated.  
  • 5G fighter jets have stealth capabilities and can cruise at supersonic speeds without engaging afterburners.  
  • It stands out from fourth-generation (4G) peers due to its multi-spectral low-observable design, self-protection, radar jamming capabilities, and integrated avionics.  
  • The squadrons of MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Mirage 2000s are scheduled to be phased out by the middle of the next decade.