Uttar Pradesh: The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a special landing exercise of the Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday.
The special landing drill was part of IAF’s Mission ‘Gagan Shakti’ exercise. The drill was initiated after the Centre approved a significant upgrade to the Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet, which the IAF frequently uses in bilateral and multilateral air exercises. The current pan-India Gagan Shakti-2024 exercise aims to demonstrate the IAF’s ability to carry out high-tempo operations.
This upgrade plan, which is a Rs 60,000 crore initiative, seeks to improve the aircraft’s capabilities by integrating new radars, mission control systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and weapon systems. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will carry out the upgrade in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The special landing exercise in aircraft operations is meant to showcase India’s rising infrastructure prowess. According to reports, the drills began on April 1 and will continue until April 10. Earlier in January, the IAF announced that it was considering extending the operational life of its Su-30 MKI fighter jets, which have been in service for over two decades.
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