GUNTUR: The Indian Air Force on Monday successfully carried out an emergency landing exercise at Pichikalagudipadu village in Korisapadu mandal of Baptla district.
As part of the exercise aiming to strengthen strategic security of the country, two transport aircraft, including AN32 and Dornier, landed and two combat jets, Sukhoi Su 30 and Hawk AJT, flew at a height of five metres over the 4.1-km Emergency Landing Runway (ELR) constructed on the National Highway-16.
The district administration and police department made elaborate security arrangements with over 500 police personnel to prevent commuters and nearby villagers from entering the airstrip during the trial run, which was held from 9 am to 1 pm. Light vehicles were diverted through other routes and heavy trucks were halted from 7.30 am to 1 pm. IAF officials thanked Joint Collector CH Sridhar and SP Vakul Jindal for the arrangements and making the trial run successful.
It is to be recalled that this the second trial run and the first one was successfully conducted on December 29, 2022. Bapatla ELR is the first-of-its-kind emergency facility in the southern peninsula. There are other two in operation—one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Central government had planned around 20 ELR facilities across the country. The facility would help in case of war, floods, during NDRF’s rescue operations and other emergency needs.