Video: IAF jets conduct combat operations drill on Pahalgam attack anniversary

The Indian Air Force conducted a major preparedness drill on the Purvanchal Expressway near Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, transforming a 3.2-kilometre stretch into an emergency landing strip. The exercise marks the one-year anniversary of the Pahalgam incident and the subsequent Operation Sindoor. During the drill, fighter jets including the Sukhoi, Mirage 2000, and Jaguar, alongside C-295 transport aircraft and Mi-17V5 helicopters, successfully executed touchdown and taxiing manoeuvres. The operation aims to test the viability of highways as backup runways and emergency landing facilities during war-like contingencies or disaster relief missions, especially if traditional airbases are compromised.