Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force test-landed successfully this morning on the Yamuna Expressway just outside Delhi.
The exercise was a part of trials to use national highways for emergency landings, said officials.
The fighter plane skimmed the highway and landed briefly before it took off again.
Before the jet landed, an Indian Air Force helicopter took several rounds in the air. Several Air Force personnel were at the spot.
Air Force personnel said this was a routine operation to scope out possible landing strips for fighter planes in case of an emergency.
The six-lane Yamuna Expressway on the outskirts of the capital connects to Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
The jet landing led to a traffic jam on the highway for a few hours.
And trending on Twitter:
IAF successfully lands fighter jet on Noida’s Yamuna Expressway as part of its first trial run http://t.co/VqmDhRNLUO pic.twitter.com/yYSQgKqH1l
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 21, 2015
Impressive show by IA, Jet lands successfully on Yamuna expressway, Road quality must be superb https://t.co/Ugas5grFMB
— Sanjay Jha (@SanjayJha) May 21, 2015
IAF aircraft lands on Yamuna Expressway. Tcha! IAF could’ve asked Bhai to fly the aircraft in times of war. He would’ve landed it anywhere
— Sunil (@akshaykanitkar) May 21, 2015
Whoa! IAF lands aircraft on the Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway. Keeping with nationwide drill to identify alternate, emergency landing sites.
— Jugal R Purohit (@jrpur) May 21, 2015
