In a significant demonstration of India’s growing strategic resolve, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated a Highway Landing Strip (HLS) on the Moran Highway in Assam, enabling the Indian Air Force (IAF) to operate a wide array of aircraft in the eastern sector close to the China border.
The 4.2-kilometre facility, carved out of a National Highway in the Dibrugarh district of Upper Assam, is situated near the IAF’s Chabua airbase, the northeasternmost fighter base of the force, and lies within operational proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. While the facility has sometimes been referred to as an “Emergency Landing Facility” (ELF), officials emphasize that its design and operational capacity make it a fully capable runway for all types of aircraft in the IAF’s inventory.
The inauguration follows the recent operationalization of the Nyoma airfield in Ladakh, underlining India’s concerted effort to strengthen forward air power along strategically sensitive borders.
The event witnessed a display of operational capability with around 16 IAF aircraft participating, including Rafale and Su-30 MKI fighters. The Prime Minister himself arrived at the site aboard a C-130J Special Operations aircraft, highlighting the dual operational and symbolic significance of the HLS. The strip is designed to accommodate even the heaviest of IAF transport aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster, which has a maximum takeoff weight of 265 tons and can carry payloads of up to 77 tons.
This event marked the most elaborate HLS operation conducted by the IAF to date. Previously, the Air Force had successfully operated from HLS locations along the Greater Noida–Agra Yamuna Expressway, the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, NH-925A in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, and the Meerut–Ballia Ganga Expressway. These highway strips are intended to allow fighter jets and heavy transport aircraft to operate in emergencies or wartime contingencies, providing alternate runways in case permanent airbases are targeted or rendered inoperable.
The development of HLSs across India reflects a shift in military thinking from reliance on large, fixed airbases to a more flexible, dispersed operational model. Traditionally, air forces worldwide have relied on extensive infrastructure: long runways, operational aprons, maintenance hangars, storage facilities, and residential quarters. Establishing these facilities involves considerable investment of time and resources. Post-conflict periods, as after World War II, often saw many such bases abandoned. Even the U.S. Air Force significantly reduced its overseas footprint after the Cold War.
In India’s context, initial airbases were Pakistan-centric, reflecting the primary operational requirement during the early decades post-independence. However, growing strategic concerns on the northern border, particularly vis-à-vis China, necessitated a shift in focus. The HLS in Assam, along with Nyoma in Ladakh, represents this China-centric operational realignment.
Modern reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision strike capabilities have transformed airbases into high-value targets. During India’s “Op Sindoor” from 8 to 10 May, 11 Pakistani airbases, including key stations at Nur Khan, Jacobabad, and Sargodha, were targeted using SCALP and BrahMos missiles. The attacks underscored the vulnerability of permanent airbases to modern precision strikes, reinforcing the strategic logic behind highway-based dispersal.
Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF) has long recognized the operational advantages of dispersed air operations. During conflicts, the PAF practiced landings on motorways, including the Lahore–Islamabad stretch in 2000 using F-7P fighters and later during Exercise Highmark in 2010, where Mirage III and F-7P aircraft conducted operations from highways. Repeated drills in 2019 and 2020 further refined their capabilities. These exercises demonstrated that Highway Landing Strips are essential in scenarios where conventional airbases are neutralized.
India’s initiative thus represents a proactive approach: rather than reacting under duress, the IAF is institutionalizing highway operations, ensuring survivable air power in scenarios where permanent airbases might be compromised.
High-value airbases worldwide illustrate the vulnerability of concentrated assets. The U.S. maintains the Guam airbase in the Pacific as a strategic hub to counter Chinese advances. The base is heavily defended, yet its loss would have significant operational implications. Similarly, in India, bases like Ambala are critical for both Pakistan and China contingencies. However, constructing large airfields at conflict-trigger points is often impractical due to terrain or geopolitical constraints.
Historically, air forces have depended on the cooperation of regional partners for contingency operations. For instance, during operations against Iraq, U.S. forces used bases in Saudi Arabia, such as Dhahran. Political sensitivities can limit such options, emphasizing the strategic advantage of highway-based air operations.
India’s adoption of highway operations aligns with global trends, particularly the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept. ACE prioritizes distributed, mobile airpower capable of rapid deployment from multiple, often austere locations. Under this concept, aircraft can operate from pre-identified highway stretches equipped with minimal infrastructure, while mobile refueling, maintenance, and armament units support operations.
In NATO parlance, a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) enables rotary-wing or fixed-wing aircraft to refuel and rearm closer to operational zones. This principle, traditionally applied to vertical take-off aircraft like the Harrier, is now adapted to full-scale fighter operations.
Highway Landing Strips are carefully designed:
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Straight stretches of 3 km or longer are cleared of obstacles.
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Approach paths are free of overhead obstructions.
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Runway markings mirror those of permanent IAF airfields.
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Lighting poles are replaced with ground-based runway lights.
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Side berms remain clear, and aircraft turnaround areas are provided at strip ends.
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Security is coordinated between the IAF and local police or paramilitary agencies.
Logistics are deliberately minimal to allow rapid deployment and mobility. Mobile units carry fuel, lubricants, and armaments, while universal power generation units provide electricity for aircraft systems and lighting. Aircraft can be serviced by small teams, with technical support from central hubs or air-lifted specialists as needed.
For modern fifth-generation fighters, conformal fuel carriage limits operational endurance, necessitating aerial refueling. ACE enables positioning near frontlines while ensuring access to refueling and replenishment resources. Leveraging local commercial markets can further reduce logistical stress.
A hub-and-spoke model can supply clusters of highway pads, maximizing dispersal and operational flexibility. This distributed approach ensures air superiority is maintainable even under contested conditions.
The ACE approach fundamentally changes the calculus of warfare:
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Distributed operations complicate enemy targeting.
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Mobile units increase survivability.
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Forward pads can be activated or deactivated based on operational requirements.
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Relocating launch pads proactively manipulates adversary perception of intentions and capabilities.
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The system strengthens the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop across domains, accelerating decision-making.
For India, dispersal across expressways allows operational unpredictability. Strategic stretches are pre-assigned to major airbases for ACE implementation. Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) manage short-duration operations, including landing and takeoff from austere or semi-prepared locations, as demonstrated when a C-130 landed at Wadi Sayyidna, Sudan, during Operation Kaveri.
Training is critical. Aircrew must operate in contested, degraded, and logistically constrained environments. SOPs must be updated to encompass:
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Equipment and supply pre-positioning
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Scalable logistics packages
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Expeditionary air traffic services
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Rapid aircraft retrieval and recovery from distant locations
Such distributed operational readiness enhances both defensive and offensive capabilities. In offensive scenarios, dispersed units can strike after initial conflict triggers, complicating adversary response while maintaining combat power.
India’s road-to-runway program is closely aligned with broader security imperatives:
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Expressways in northern states (Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, North East) are strategically significant for border contingencies.
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Southern expressways contribute to India’s growing Indian Ocean operational focus.
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Highway strips reduce reliance on fixed bases, mitigating risks from adversary ISR and precision strike capabilities.
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Advanced Operating Airstrips (AOS) support rapid offensive operations, enhancing flexibility and survivability in hyperactive, lethal combat environments.
As of late 2025, India has 44 operational expressways, totaling over 6,000 km, with 11,000 km under construction and several more in planning. Most expressways are suitable for fighter jet operations, providing a vast dispersed network for IAF operations.
Future operations will leverage advances in artificial intelligence, automation, and human-machine teaming to:
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Enhance operational efficiency
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Support decision-making in real-time
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Facilitate distributed mission execution
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Optimize maintenance, logistics, and resource allocation
ACE operations will integrate secure satellite data-links to provide situational awareness and operational priorities across dispersed units. This digital connectivity ensures that dispersed operations remain synchronized with central command, while maintaining survivability and operational unpredictability.
Beyond military use, highway-based airstrips can serve civil purposes during natural disasters. These strips provide landing and takeoff facilities for relief aircraft, potentially accelerating rescue and supply operations during floods, earthquakes, or other calamities.
The government is considering integration with civil departments to maximize utility while maintaining operational readiness for national security.
The IAF envisions:
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Initial pilot projects on select expressway stretches
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Incremental scaling with training and infrastructure development
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Integration of Advanced Operating Airstrips with permanent airbases
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Expansion of dispersal strategies to island territories and forward operational locations like Ladakh and the North East
The initiative represents a paradigm shift in airpower employment: moving from centralized, permanent infrastructure to a flexible network of smaller, operationally viable locations. By doing so, India mitigates adversary technological advantages, ensures survivable airpower, and increases options for rapid offensive and defensive actions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the Moran Highway HLS underscores India’s commitment to operational innovation and strategic foresight. By blending highways with runway functionality, India enhances both national security and disaster preparedness. The IAF’s ability to operate from dispersed locations ensures airpower survivability in a contested environment while complicating adversary targeting calculations.
The Advanced Operating Airstrip concept provides a forward-looking model, maximizing operational flexibility and combat effectiveness without excessive infrastructure investment. By adopting ACE principles, India strengthens its ability to project power, respond dynamically to threats, and maintain strategic advantage along both its northern borders and across the broader Indian Ocean region.
The HLS in Assam is not just a runway—it is a statement of strategic intent, signaling India’s readiness to adapt to the evolving character of modern warfare while ensuring its air forces remain agile, survivable, and lethal.
