After conducting a successful emergency landing of fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Rajasthan, just forty kilometres from the border with Pakistan, five emergency landing strips have reportedly been proposed in Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
These proposed strips would be used for emergency landing for fighter and other jets near the International Border (IB), and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
As per reports in a local newspaper, the exact locations of these strips will be decided by the Defence Ministry and Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways once the process is finalized in due course of time.
Reports said a total of five such airstrips have been proposed in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The location of two of them has reportedly been decided between Bijbehara-Chinar Bagh and Srinagar-Banihal while three others are expected to come up along Jammu-Pathankot, Jammu-Poonch highways, and Ladakh.
Stretch of Jammu-Pathankot highway runs parallel to Pakistan border
Reports said authorities are seriously thinking to set up an emergency landing strip on Jammu-Pathankot national highway which is just a few kilometers away from the Pakistan border.
Out of a total length of 100 km, a nearly 44-km stretch on the Jammu-Pathankot highway runs almost parallel to the border with Pakistan in Kathua and Samba districts.
Similarly, a huge portion of the under-construction six-lane Jammu Ring road also runs parallel to the Pakistan border in the Jammu district.
Survey already conducted for a landing strip on Srinagar-Banihal highway
Reports said that the Srinagar-Banihal airstrip on the highway would be the first emergency land strip to be constructed, which will be 3.5 kilometres long and could come up at a proposed cost of around Rs 120 crore while Bijbehara-Chinar Bagh is next in the pipeline.
The idea of first constructing these airstrips in Kashmir Valley is to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force to face any challenge from Pakistan or China.
Since the formation of BJP led government at the Centre, the country has taken many steps to develop defence infrastructure on the borders with Pakistan and China. Road networks have been spread in the border areas of UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh which share long boundaries with Pakistan and China.
IAF conducts emergency landing on highway
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday carried out a demonstration on its emergency landing facility on NH-925 in Jalore, Rajasthan, which was inaugurated by Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. The Jaguar fighter aircraft were also part of the demonstrations. This is the first time a designated national highway can be used for emergency landings.
