On December 29, 2022, The Indian Air Force conducted a tactical trial of the emergency landing facility specially constructed on a highway in Andhra Pradesh. The emergency landing facility (or ELF) has been made on National Highway-16 located in Andhra Pradesh's Bapatla district. Sukhoi30MKI and LCA Tejas fighter jets, and an AN-32 transport plane were part of the trial run. These combat planes flew very close to the ground without an actual landing on the 4.1 km-long emergency facility. The drill was part of the stringent process that would help the officials to ascertain the readiness of the emergency facility. Constructed in Bapatla's Picchikalagudipadu village, the drill saw the warplanes circuiting, approaching and overshooting the ELF. At present, the emergency facility is not fully functional. Once all the criteria are met, the airstrip will be formally inaugurated.
On September 15, 2021 the Taiwan Air Force had also started a similar exercise when F-16 fighter aircrafts took off from rural roads and highways in the country, which also saw the participation of AWACS aircrafts. A war between China and Taiwan is not imminent, but as China has grown increasingly assertive in both the East China and South China Seas, Taiwan has stepped up its defences. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, flies fighter bombers toward Taiwan on a regular basis in an effort to bully and intimidate the island nation. Chinese fighter jets, anti-submarine warfare aircraft and combat ships have repeatedly conducted joint assault drills near Taiwan and strategically blackmailed the tiny island with China using the lame excuse that the exercise was necessary to safeguard its sovereignty. The rapidly evolving contemporary tactical warfare scenario has necessitated the execution of highway-landing exercises by both Taiwan and India.
The concept of road-runways
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Geopolitics.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Geopolitics.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE NARCOTICS MENACE
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 2023 Annual Report, prepared in accordance with the international drug control treaties, examines the global drug control situation and makes recommendations to governments and regional and international organizations. It focuses on the role of the Internet, including social media, in JALLAL TOUFIQ, President of the INCB, explores the challenges and opportunities for drug control, prevention, and treatment in the era of the Internet, with a landscape of online drug
DEALING WITH THE DRAGON
Not Containing, but Countering China, in the Indo-Pacific is now the norm of all the leading countries of the region, writes CHINTAMANI MAHAPATRA
UNENDING WAR IN UKRAINE
Is Russia's War in Ukraine following a script or it is lost in direction? RAVI SRIVASTAVA attempts to answer
INDIA MUST RESUME NUCLEAR TESTING
India has to conduct open ended nuclear tests to secure a modicum of data, which will be infinitely more accurate than information derived from inertial confinement fusion facility (ICF) and supercomputer simulations.
ASYMMETRIC MARITIME THREATS & CHALLENGES
VENUGOPAL MENON explains why and how it is imperative to counter asymmetric threats in the maritime domain in India's area of interest
DRDO'S MPATGM
Indian Army gets more teeth for Anti-Tank Warfare, reports GIRISH LINGANNA
SMART AND LETHAL WEAPONS: THE PATH TO 2029
India must tread the path towards development of a whole gamut of next-generation smart and lethal weapons for countering a two-front threat scenario, argues AMARTYA SINHA
ROHDE & SCHWARZ EXPANDS FOOTPRINT IN INDIA BY OPENING NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY IN DELHI
In a strategic move to amplify its offerings and reinforce its market presence, Rohde & Schwarz India (RSINDIA), a subsidiary of the global technology group Rohde & Schwarz GmbH KG & Co, has officially inaugurated a new facility, aiming to significantly enhance its service offerings in the Indian market. The expansion heralds a pivotal moment in RSINDIA'S history, with its Managing Director, YATISH MOHAN, alongside key figures from the R&S Global Office including DR. ALEXANDER ORELLANO, Executive Vice President, and RALF WATAMANIUK, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, providing insights into the company's steady climb to prominence.
SUBMARINE-KILLER CAPABILITY: SMART MISSILE TESTED SUCCESSFULLY
The supersonic missile-assisted torpedo (SMART) system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully test-launched from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on May 1. The test confirmed velocity control, ejection, and symmetric separation.
India's space economy set to soar
India's burgeoning space economy could see a substantial increase in its global share by 2040. At present, India's space sector contributes a modest $8 billion to the overall cake. However, the government has set its sights on an ambitious target, aiming for a five-fold surge in India's share of the global space economy.
