Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended a high-intensity aerial demonstration by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the newly inaugurated Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Moran, located in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. The 4.2-kilometre-long airstrip — the first of its kind in the Northeast — has been developed to support emergency military and civilian operations. The Prime Minister was on a day-long visit to the state when he formally inaugurated the strategically significant project.

The aerial show began with the thunderous take-off of a Sukhoi Su-30MKI, followed closely by the advanced Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft. Pilots executed precise landing and take-off maneuvers on the newly built airstrip, demonstrating the ELF’s operational readiness. The display highlighted the facility’s capability to handle high-performance combat aircraft under emergency scenarios.

Adding to the spectacle, the IAF’s reliable transport aircraft, the Antonov An-32, carried out a “touch and go” maneuver, showcasing rapid deployment potential. A three-aircraft formation each of Sukhoi-30 MKI and Rafale jets then roared across the Moran skyline in synchronized succession. While one aircraft from each formation landed smoothly, the others performed overshoot procedures, simulating real-time operational conditions.

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The indigenous HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) further demonstrated Special Heli-Borne Operations (SHBO), deploying commandos onto the airstrip in a coordinated drill. In another segment, ALHs simulated disaster relief and medical evacuation exercises, underlining the ELF’s role in humanitarian assistance and emergency response missions.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the event as the first “elaborate” exercise conducted at an Emergency Landing Facility in the region, with nearly 16 aircraft participating. Constructed at a cost of approximately ₹100 crore, the Moran ELF has been developed in coordination with the IAF to strengthen national security infrastructure and improve rapid response capabilities in the strategically important Northeast.

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