IAF Showcases 24/7 Fighter Operations with Night Drills on Ganga Expressway Airstrip in Uttar Pradesh
A New Era: Night Fighter Jet Operations Unfold on Ganga Expressway
The skies above Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, saw something unprecedented this May. The Indian Air Force (IAF) turned a freshly-laid 3.5-kilometer stretch of the Ganga Expressway into a full-fledged airbase – not just for daylight stunts, but with combat drills running through the night. This was the first time an expressway airstrip in India handled 24/7 fighter jet operations, putting the country’s military technology and readiness on display for the world to see.
It all unfolded between May 2 and 3, 2025. The IAF didn’t hold back – they rolled out the big guns: Rafale fighters slicing through the dusk, Sukhoi-30 MKIs burning up the runway, Mirage-2000s and MiG-29s charging through nighttime maneuvers, Jaguar attack planes, C-130J Super Hercules, massive AN-32s, and MI-17 V5 helicopters. Spotlights and advanced lighting systems cut through the dark, turning an ordinary highway into a show of sheer military might.
The Tech Behind Night Readiness
The entire operation was about more than flying planes fast and low. For the first time, an Indian expressway airstrip was equipped for night operations, thanks to a state-of-the-art lighting setup. The Ganga Expressway's 3.5km airstrip is now the country’s only such stretch ready for jets to touch down or scramble any time of day or night. It’s not just a backup – in a crisis or conflict, this bit of road could quickly double as a launchpad for combat missions or emergency relief.
The drills went beyond rehearsed landings. Pilots practicing low-altitude fly-pasts and razor-sharp takeoffs while floodlights illuminated the tarmac was a throwback to Cold War-era tactics—except now, it’s happening over rural India. With the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and top state brass watching from the sidelines, the event delivered a clear signal: India means business about defending its skies, especially under the shadow of renewed regional threats after the recent Pahalgam terror incident in Kashmir.
To put things into perspective, the Ganga Expressway is no small highway. Stretching 594 kilometers from Meerut to Prayagraj, it links up a swath of northern India. The Shahjahanpur airstrip marks the fourth such IAF-ready segment on a UP expressway, but the first where night is no obstacle. That’s a huge leap for a country where most highway airstrips have only ever handled daytime sorties.
This isn’t just about jets showing off in front of cameras, either. These new capabilities could be a game changer if regular airbases are compromised or destroyed during an emergency. Rapid relocation across expressways means the IAF won’t be caught off guard, even if an enemy strikes when it’s dark.
So, why the high-profile spectacle now? The timing couldn’t be sharper. Tensions in the region have simmered again after attacks in Kashmir. Both the scale and precision of these drills put India’s rivals on notice. It also gives local residents and leaders a real look at what these investments in infrastructure can achieve – a highway that doubles as a runway, ready for anything, day or night.