Lucknow, May 1 (PTI) The Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct a crucial trial on Friday on a 3.5-km airstrip of the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur.

According to a press statement issued on Thursday, advanced fighter jets like the Rafale, Jaguar, and Mirage will perform take-off and landing drills, including night operations, to assess the expressway's viability as an alternative runway during emergencies.

Also Read | Saffron Price Hits INR 5 Lakh for 1 Kg After Pahalgam Terror Attack.

This airstrip is the first in India designed for both day and night fighter landings, boosting defence preparedness and serving as a training base, the statement said.

High-level security measures are in place with 250 CCTV cameras installed, and key officials will be in attendance, it said.

Also Read | WAVES Summit 2025: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan Hails India As 'Creator Nation', Announces INR 850 Crore Investment To Boost Creator Economy.

The air show will have daytime and night phases, testing low fly-pasts, landings, and take-offs, it said.

Participating aircraft include the Rafale, SU-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and MI-17 V5 helicopter.

The Ganga Expressway will be Uttar Pradesh's fourth expressway with an airstrip, but the first with night landing capability, according to the statement.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)