Remember when highways were just for cars? Well, not anymore! The Indian Air Force (IAF) is turning some of those stretches of asphalt into backup runways. It's a bold move, and one where India leaving rival Pakistan in the dust.
Pakistan actually kicked off this whole "highway as runway" idea back in 2000. Smart thinking, really – if the enemy targets your airbases, you need some place else to land your jets in a pinch. But India really taken the idea and run with it. They've got five emergency highway strips ready to go, and more are on the way!
What's super impressive is the types of planes they're landing on these roads. We're talking Mirage 2000s, Su-30s, Jaguars…even big transport planes like the C-130! Pakistan done it with a few aircraft of their own, but India's got the bragging rights here.
Now, there might be a reason Pakistan hasn't been so showy. Some of their jets – those Mirages and F-7s – are trickier to land. They've got "delta wings" that mean they come in for touchdown pretty fast. India's got some technical advantages too, like air intakes in different spots that make rougher landings a bit less risky.
Why Does This Matter?
Think of it like a game of chess, but with way higher stakes. India got more options. Need to scramble fighters quickly? Surprise the enemy with a takeoff from an unexpected location? They can do that. Their diverse fleet and all those highway strips give them an edge Pakistan just doesn't have right now.Of course, let's hope these emergency runways stay just that – for emergencies only. But if things ever do get tense, India's smart investment in these double-duty highways could pay off big time.
