Highway becomes runway! Indian Army helicopters land and take off near Pak border

The Indian Army used a stretch of National Highway 911 near Dantour in Rajasthan as a temporary runway for its military helicopters during a drill close to the India-Pakistan border on Tuesday.

The exercise coincided with the 10th anniversary of the surgical strikes carried out by the Army across the Line of Control on the night of September 28–29, 2016. The surgical strikes followed a terrorist attack on an Army base in Uri that killed 19 Indian soldiers.

Rudra, Dhruv and Chetak helicopters landed on and took off from the designated section of the highway. Pilots practised approaching and departing from a road instead of an airfield, while ground teams coordinated movements at the landing site.

The Dhruv is a twin-engine Advanced Light Helicopter designed and developed in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Rudra is its armed variant, used for roles including reconnaissance, escort and fire support.

The Chetak, also manufactured by HAL, is based on the French Alouette III design and is built in India under licence.

The drill tested the Army’s ability to operate helicopters from an alternative site if an airbase, airfield or helipad is unavailable.

Dantour’s location in Rajasthan’s western desert, where distances are vast and aviation infrastructure is limited, provided a setting for practising those procedures near the border.- EndsIN THIS STORY#Surgical strike About the Author

Shivani Sharma is a broadcast journalist who specialises in Defence reporting. She happens to be the first Indian journalist to reach the world’s highest motorable top at Umling La and also to cover the southern most strategic tip of the country at Nicobar.