Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to have three airstrips on its expressways to give impetus to the Indian Air Force land and take-off its fighter planes in emergency and war situations.

The work on the 3,300 metres long third airstrip near Kurebhar on Purvanchal Expressway has been completed and the Indian Air Force is likely to test the airstrip in February or March with different categories of its fighter planes and carriers.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), Awanish Awathi told media persons that work on the airstrip has been completed and the same can be tested and used by the air Force. He claimed that the Air Force authorities have been informed about it and they will do the test run of its fighter planes sometime late February or early March.

It will be the third airstrip which has been constructed on the state expressways. The first one was constructed on the Yamuna Expressway near Mathura. The Air Force had conducted a test run when its fighter plane Mirage-2000 had successfully landed and took off in 2015.

The second airstrip was constructed near Bagarmau on Lucknow-Agra Expressway during the Akhilesh Yadav regime. The Air Force had conducted test runs of its fighter planes Sukhoi-30, Mirage 2000, Jaguar and carrier Super Hercules on the airstrip.

The Agra and Hindon Air bases will be greatly benefitted with the construction of the three airstrips on expressways during emergency situations or in case of a war with China and Pakistan.