IAF Purvanchal Expressway Emergency Airstrip Exercise Concludes May 1 — Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage-2000 Practiced Highway Landings

The Indian Air Force concluded a multi-day emergency airstrip exercise on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh on May 1, 2026, with traffic returning to normal on May 2. The exercise used the 3.2 km Arval-Kiri-Karwat emergency airstrip on the expressway, which serves as a war reserve runway when primary airbases are unavailable or destroyed. Aircraft involved included Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar strike aircraft, C-295 transport aircraft, AN-32 logistical transport, and Mi-17 V5 helicopters. The Garud Commando Force — IAF's special operations unit — also participated. A 12-kilometre stretch of the expressway was closed to civilian traffic throughout the exercise period. The IAF operated 'touch-and-go' manoeuvres and full-stop landings to certify the expressway's viability as an alternate combat runway under wartime conditions. India's IAF has been regularly certifying highway airbases across multiple expressways in anticipation of scenarios where primary airfields may be targeted. The exercise timing — one week before the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor (May 7, 2026) — carries clear strategic messaging about IAF's post-Sindoor wartime readiness posture. During Operation Sindoor itself (May 7–10, 2025), Pakistan attempted to strike IAF airbases including Adampur and Pathankot using ballistic missiles and drones; India's interest in secondary runway options reflects lessons learned from that engagement. The exercise also demonstrates India's post-Sindoor doctrine of maintaining high operational tempo and wartime readiness as a deterrence signal to Pakistan as the anniversary approaches.