Pakistan has joined the club of nations capable of using motorways and highways as runway during the war as Pakistan Air Force on Friday successfully validated the concept of using motorways and highways for war purposes and fighter operations. The fighter aircraft of the PAF used motorway as runway for emergency landing, as they landed at Motorway, where the airmen of the PAF refuelled, rearmed and re-launched these aircraft for air operation, after their landing at Motorway.
The historic landmark was achieved during the ongoing High Mark-2010 War Games of the PAF. Federal Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Air Vice Marshall Sohail Aman, National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry, Inspector General of National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) and other high officials witnessed the event along with a contingent of PAF airmen.
During the war games, Wing Commander Attaur Rehman was flying Meraj whereas Squadron leader Nadeem Iqbal was flying F-7P when 9,000-ft long and 103-ft wide piece of Islamabad-Lahore Motorway was used as runway. During the three-hour exercise, the PAF fighters practice picking up fuel and arms from the Motorway, being used as runway.
Touch and go has been practised on Motorway during two earlier exercises whereas in 'High Mark 2010' exercises Motorway has been used as airbase in emergency settings. This part of exercises has been organised with the co-operation of the Communication Ministry. To prepare the runway for these exercises, blocks dividing the Motorway were removed and tops of trees grown on an area of 3,000-ft on both sides of motorway were trimmed.
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