<p>Sultanpur (UP): A two-day <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/air%20force">Indian Air Force</a> (IAF) exercise featuring fighter-jet operations began on Wednesday on an emergency airstrip along the Purvanchal Expressway in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/uttar%20pradesh">Uttar Pradesh's</a> Sultanpur district, with authorities tightening security and clamping traffic restrictions.</p>.<p>The exercise is being conducted at the Arval-Kiri Karwat airstrip, where fighter aircraft are carrying out "touch-and-go" operations as part of preparedness to use expressways as alternative runways during emergencies, officials said.</p>.<p>They said an air traffic control system has been set up near the expressway to manage aircraft movement during the exercise.</p>.Modi witnesses special Indian Air Force aerial show at emergency landing facility in Assam.<p>The local administration earlier intensified the security arrangements around the airstrip and appealed to residents to maintain a safe distance and avoid paying heed to rumours.</p>.<p>The exercise also generated excitement in the area as people got an opportunity to witness fighter jets up close.</p>.<p>Authorities said traffic on a 12-km stretch of the expressway has been diverted till May 1 as a precautionary measure and will resume from May 2, after the exercise concludes.</p>.<p>The officials noted that similar drills were conducted earlier, including in June 2023 when Sukhoi and Mirage aircraft performed touch-and-go operations on the 3.2-km airstrip.</p>.<p>The expressway was also used for such manoeuvres during its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021, when fighter jets and a Hercules aircraft landed on the stretch.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Wednesday (April 22) also marked the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives.</p>
<p>Sultanpur (UP): A two-day <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/air%20force">Indian Air Force</a> (IAF) exercise featuring fighter-jet operations began on Wednesday on an emergency airstrip along the Purvanchal Expressway in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/uttar%20pradesh">Uttar Pradesh's</a> Sultanpur district, with authorities tightening security and clamping traffic restrictions.</p>.<p>The exercise is being conducted at the Arval-Kiri Karwat airstrip, where fighter aircraft are carrying out "touch-and-go" operations as part of preparedness to use expressways as alternative runways during emergencies, officials said.</p>.<p>They said an air traffic control system has been set up near the expressway to manage aircraft movement during the exercise.</p>.Modi witnesses special Indian Air Force aerial show at emergency landing facility in Assam.<p>The local administration earlier intensified the security arrangements around the airstrip and appealed to residents to maintain a safe distance and avoid paying heed to rumours.</p>.<p>The exercise also generated excitement in the area as people got an opportunity to witness fighter jets up close.</p>.<p>Authorities said traffic on a 12-km stretch of the expressway has been diverted till May 1 as a precautionary measure and will resume from May 2, after the exercise concludes.</p>.<p>The officials noted that similar drills were conducted earlier, including in June 2023 when Sukhoi and Mirage aircraft performed touch-and-go operations on the 3.2-km airstrip.</p>.<p>The expressway was also used for such manoeuvres during its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021, when fighter jets and a Hercules aircraft landed on the stretch.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Wednesday (April 22) also marked the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives.</p>