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| India air force lands fighter jet on Yamuna expressway | India air force lands fighter jet on Yamuna expressway |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| India has successfully landed a jet fighter on an expressway for the first time as a part of trials to use roads for emergency landings. | |
| A Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Indian air force landed on the main road connecting the capital, Delhi, with Agra early on Thursday. | |
| The 102-mile-long Yamuna Expressway is one of India's most modern highways. | The 102-mile-long Yamuna Expressway is one of India's most modern highways. |
| The air force plans to develop various sections of India's highways to be used as runways at short notice. | The air force plans to develop various sections of India's highways to be used as runways at short notice. |
| The air force said in a statement that the aircraft flew in from a base in central India and made a "practice approach on the highway, coming down to a height of 100m before landing off the next approach" in Uttar Pradesh state. | The air force said in a statement that the aircraft flew in from a base in central India and made a "practice approach on the highway, coming down to a height of 100m before landing off the next approach" in Uttar Pradesh state. |
| A large number of police were deployed along the stretch of the highway where the exercise was conducted. Senior air force officials were also present to witness the landing and take-off. | A large number of police were deployed along the stretch of the highway where the exercise was conducted. Senior air force officials were also present to witness the landing and take-off. |
| A makeshift air traffic control was set up, bird-watchers were on alert and fire engines and rescue vehicles were on stand-by, news channel NDTV reported.. | A makeshift air traffic control was set up, bird-watchers were on alert and fire engines and rescue vehicles were on stand-by, news channel NDTV reported.. |
| The exercise halted traffic on the road for a few hours. Local people, including residents from nearby villagers, gaped at the sight, reports said. | |
| Road runways are usually used for emergency landings if airbases come under attack during wartime. | Road runways are usually used for emergency landings if airbases come under attack during wartime. |
| A number of countries, including neighbouring Pakistan, have dedicated stretches of expressways for landing fighter planes. |