New Delhi / Rajasthan — November 13, 2025:In a strong display of operational readiness amid heightened regionaltensions, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a dramatic touch-and-gooperation of its Su-30MKI fighter jets on a newly developed BharatmalaHighway strip in Rajasthan, situated close to the Pakistan border. Themaneuver was carried out as part of Exercise Maha GajRaj, ahigh-intensity air combat and logistics mobility drill designed to validateIndia’s rapid deployment capabilities in forward areas.
According to defense sources, the highway landing strip, part of theBharatmalaPariyojana’s Border Connectivity Program, was specifically engineered tohandle combat aircraft operations in case of wartime damage to traditionalrunways. The move demonstrates India’s growing ability to maintain airoperations even under hostile conditions.
“The successful touch-and-go by Su-30MKI fighters showcases the IAF’spreparedness to sustain air dominance in western sectors even duringhigh-tempo conflict scenarios,” said a senior Air Force official involvedin the exercise.
Strategic Message to Pakistan
The timing and location of the operation—barely a few dozen kilometers fromthe India–Pakistan international boundary—carry clear strategicundertones. The exercise follows a series of cross-border military alertsand signals India’s capability to project power rapidly across the westernfront.
Military analysts suggest that such highway operations significantly enhanceIndia’s survivability and flexibility during a potential conflict withPakistan, allowing fighters to disperse from fixed airbases and operatefrom remote road networks to evade enemy targeting.Part of a Broader Preparedness Drive
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Exercise Maha GajRaj also integrates logistics, ground force support, andreal-time command coordination, mirroring India’s Cold Strike doctrinethat emphasizes swift, decisive, and localized action. The IAF’s emphasison mobility and redundancy reflects lessons from recent conflicts, wherehighway-based operations have proven vital to maintaining continuous combatsorties.
The Bharatmala highway network—which stretches across Rajasthan, Punjab,and Gujarat—has been quietly emerging as India’s strategic backbone inthe western theater. Several of its stretches are now being reinforced asemergency landing facilities (ELFs) to support fighter aircraft, transportplanes, and refueling tankers.
Defense analysts view this as a clear strategic signal to Islamabad andBeijing alike. “India is demonstrating that its war preparedness is nottheoretical—it’s operationally viable and integrated with civilianinfrastructure,” said a senior defense expert. “These highway operationsgive the IAF the flexibility to sustain offensive and defensive airmissions even if conventional runways are targeted.”
As Exercise Maha GajRaj continues across Rajasthan and Gujarat, thetouch-and-go operation on the Bharatmala Highway underlines the IAF’s newera of agile warfare readiness—one designed to ensure that India canrespond swiftly, flexibly, and decisively in any future confrontation,particularly along its tense western frontier with Pakistan.