Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 4.2-km Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) at Moran in Dibrugarh district, marking first such facility in the Northeast. He arrived at the site aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft from Chabua Air Base.
The inauguration was followed by an over 20-minute aerial display featuring IAF fighter jets and transport helicopters engaged in emergency operations and response exercises. A Sukhoi-30 MKI was the first jet to take off, followed by a Rafale aircraft. The IAF’s An-32 transport helicopter, known for ferrying both cargo and personnel, executed a ‘touch and go’ manoeuvre at the airstrip.
Subsequently, formations of three Sukhoi-30 MKIs and Rafales each performed precision flyovers over the Moran sky. While some jets landed at the ELF, others demonstrated overshoot manoeuvres during the display. Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) conducted Special Heli-Borne Operations, including dropping commandos at the airstrip, as well as relief and medical evacuation exercises.
Prime Minister Modi was received at Chabua airfield by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and senior state officials. The Chief Minister highlighted that this was the first large-scale exercise at an ELF in the region, with around 16 aircraft participating. “A warm welcome to Adarniya Pradhan Mantri Shri @narendramodi ji to the sacred land of Maa Kamakhya and Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev,” he said on a social media post.
Developed at a cost of nearly Rs 100 crore in coordination with the IAF, the facility is designed to support the landing and take-off of both military and civil aircraft during emergencies. This marks the Prime Minister’s third visit to Assam in three months, as the state gears up for upcoming assembly elections.