Sultanpur, April 22 -- The roar of jet engines replaced the hum of traffic on Wednesday as the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched a high-stakes, two-day emergency landing exercise on the Purvanchal Expressway.

The drill, designed to test the military's ability to use national infrastructure as alternative runways during conflict, saw frontline aircraft operating just feet above the asphalt.

As part of the exercise, troops were seen slithering down from a Mi-17 helicopter to conduct ground drills on the expressway. Fighter aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets and Jaguar jets, performed touch-and-go operations, demonstrating rapid landing and takeoff capabilities on the highway strip.

In one of the key manoeuvres, Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighte...