Parwinder Sandhu
New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) In a calibrated yet unmistakable signal to the nation’s adversaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday scripted a strategic first by landing aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft at the Northeast’s maiden Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Dibrugarh-Moran National Highway 2 in Moran, Assam.
The historic touchdown was more than a ceremonial moment, it highlighted India’s sharpened military readiness and its resolve to fortify critical frontier infrastructure.
By operationalising the advanced landing strip in Upper Assam, the Prime Minister reinforced a clear message- the Northeast is central to India’s defence calculus, and its strategic capabilities are being strengthened with precision and intent.
Constructed with an investment of approximately Rs 100 crore, the 4.2-kilometre segment along the national highway has been engineered to function as an Emergency Landing Facility, allowing Indian Air Force fighter aircraft to conduct take-offs and landings in contingency situations.
The specially reinforced stretch is designed to support fighter jets weighing up to 40 tonnes, as well as transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 74 tonnes.
In addition to its defence role, the facility can also serve as a backup airstrip for both civilian and military operations, providing an alternative to Dibrugarh airport during exigencies.
Strategically positioned in Upper Assam, the Moran Emergency Landing Facility significantly enhances India’s military posture in the Northeast, a region that shares a sensitive frontier with China.
Its activation comes against the backdrop of expanding air infrastructure across the border, accentuating the importance of rapid-response capability and operational depth for Indian forces.
India already operates key airbases in the eastern sector, including facilities at Tezpur, Jorhat and Chabua in Assam, as well as Hashimara in North Bengal, where a Rafale squadron is stationed.
India’s push to integrate national highways into its defence grid began with the inauguration of the country’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on September 9, 2021, on a three-kilometre stretch of NH-925A in the Gandhav Bhakasar sector of Barmer, Rajasthan.
Developed by the National Highways Authority of India for the Indian Air Force over 19 months, the facility was formally opened by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Gadkari later disclosed that the IAF had identified 28 such locations across the country for development as ELFs. These sites are spread across Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting a nationwide plan to bolster operational flexibility.
Since then, multiple emergency landing strips have been constructed on highways and expressways in several states. In Andhra Pradesh, ELFs have come up in Bapatla and Prakasam districts, while similar facilities have been developed in West Midnapore (West Bengal), Sanchore (Rajasthan) and Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir).
The Barmer strip, built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, spans three kilometres in length and 33 metres in width, with dedicated aircraft parking bays and an Air Traffic Control cabin.
The concept, however, predates these projects. In 2015, the IAF successfully carried out trial landings, including by a Mirage 2000 fighter, on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. Since then, expressways in the state have frequently hosted operational drills.
A 3.2-kilometre airstrip on the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, equipped with advanced lighting, navigation aids and a Category II Instrument Landing System, enables day-and-night fighter operations even in low-visibility conditions.
More recently, in April 2025, a Sukhoi-30 MKI conducted landing exercises on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Unnao as part of Mission Gagan Shakti, alongside a range of fighter and transport aircraft.
Similar high-intensity drills have been undertaken on the Purvanchal Expressway and NH-16 in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla district, where Sukhoi Su-30s and Hawk trainers demonstrated low-altitude approach and precision landings.
