On April 7, the Indian Air Force will use fighter jets to carry out the Gagan Shakti exercise on the Lucknow-Agra Motorway.

The Indian Air Force performed a unique landing practice of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft on the Lucknow-Agra Motorway in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, demonstrating the country’s air defence readiness and capacity.

The unique landing practice was carried out as a component of the IAF’s Mission Gagan Shakti drill.

The exercise takes place a few weeks after the Centre authorised a significant modernization of the fleet of Su-30MKI fighter jets that the Indian Air Force frequently uses for air exercises, both bilateral and multilateral.

The aforementioned plan is a ₹60,000 crore initiative that seeks to integrate modern armament systems, mission control systems, radars, and electronic warfare capabilities to enhance the aircraft’s capabilities.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will work together to complete the modification.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director CB Ananthakrishnan said the project is split into two stages, with the first phase concentrating on installing new radars and avionics and the second phase focusing on improving the flight control systems.

The IAF announced earlier in January that it was thinking about prolonging the operational life of its Su-30MKI fighter jets, which have been in use for more than 20 years.

“Through rigorous trials and testing, we are currently investigating the prospect of increasing the aircraft’s lifespan by an extra 20 years or more. Russian aircraft’s airframe and other components are strong, extending their operational life, defence sources informed India.

TEJAS, Chinook, Apache, “Prachand” helicopters, An-32 cargo planes, Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets and Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft were all present during the practice on Saturday. Presently, the Gagan Shakti presentation occurs roughly every five years.