IAF fighter jets and transport planes, including helicopters, tested the Ganga Expressway’s emergency airstrip in Shahjahanpur on Friday afternoon(HT Photo) The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a successful night-time combat drill on the country’s first expressway airstrip on the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur district on Friday. The exercise, carried out between 7pm and 10pm, saw fighter jets Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, and Mirage-2000 conduct mock touch-and-go landings and tactical flight operations. “Multiple fighter jets carried out successful sorties as part of a night operational exercise. The drill involved precision landings, coordinated take-offs, and tactical operations by jets such as Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, and M-32,” Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi told PTI. Over 250 CCTV cameras surrounded the 3.5-kilometre airstrip for additional surveillance and security. “Despite strong winds and unfavourable weather during the day, the drill was completed successfully, with the night operations proving to be smoother and more efficient,” Dwivedi said. Although the exercise was originally planned for two days, the IAF managed to carry out the entire operation in just one night. During the …