New Delhi: The country’s first emergency landing air strip for IAF aircraft built on a Rajasthan national highway was inaugurated today by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. The Barmer runway built over a period of 19 months – will be used for the emergency landing of IAF planes. Mr. Gadkari, however, promised that in the future, such airstrips would be built in a matter of days.
“Yesterday, when the honorable head of the IAF came to see me, he told me that it had taken a year and a half to develop this airstrip (at Barmer),” Mr. Gadkari said in his speech at the inauguration. “Then I told him that we would develop good quality airstrips for you within 15 days instead of a year and a half,” he added.
“Whenever an original idea is proposed, apprehensions arise. But (we are) pleased with the support from the Ministry of Defense and the Air Force which enabled the successful launch of this 3 km – the airstrip “, added the minister.
An IAF C-130J Hercules aircraft, carrying the two ministers and Chief of Defense Staff Bipin Rawat, made a simulated emergency landing on the airstrip of the Satta-Gandhav section on the national road 925.
Calling it “the new force of New India,” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “the airstrip will further strengthen basic infrastructure along the western border and strengthen national security.”
The emergency airstrip, he said, will be useful not only in times of war but also in the event of natural disasters.
The minister praised the IAF, the National Highways Authority, and the private sector for completing the construction of the emergency airstrip in 19 months despite Covid-19 restrictions.
“This is an excellent example of coordination between several departments and ministries, the government and the private sector,” he added.
A military transport aircraft and a Mi-17v5 helicopter of the IAF also landed on the strip, showing its complete operational readiness to act as an auxiliary military airbase.