The Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter and transport aircraft carried out operations on an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) airstrip on National Highway 16 near Addanki in Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh.
Su-30 and Hawk fighters successfully carried out overshoots during the activation, while An-32 and Dornier transport aircraft landed and subsequently took off from the strip on Monday, an Indian Air Force statement said on Tuesday.
The activation showcased the high level of synergy and liaison between civil agencies such as National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), district administration, state police, and the IAF towards the conduct of complex, multifaceted activities.
Previously, such an activation was conducted on December 29, 2022. The 4.1-kilometer-long and 33-meter-wide concrete airstrip has been constructed by the NHAI as per specifications provided by the IAF. While other airstrips are already operational in various parts of the country, this ELF in Andhra Pradesh has been recently operationalised in peninsular India.
ELF highway airstrips enhance the flexibility of air operations during contingencies and are invaluable assets during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in far flung areas. IAF, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) are working jointly for the creation of ELFs at suitable locations.
