What Happened
- India's first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in the northeast region was inaugurated on the Moran Bypass stretch of National Highway-37 in Dibrugarh district, Assam, on 14 February 2026.
- The Prime Minister landed at the facility aboard a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, followed by an aerial display featuring IAF Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets demonstrating take-offs and landings on the highway strip.
- The Rs 100-crore facility is a 4.2-km reinforced dual-use runway capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of up to 74 tonnes.
- The ELF's location in Upper Assam is strategically significant due to its proximity to the India-China frontier, expanding critical air infrastructure eastward into the northeast.
- An estimated one lakh people gathered to witness the inaugural aerial display.
Static Topic Bridges
Emergency Landing Facilities (ELFs) — Highway Airstrips for Strategic Contingency
Emergency Landing Facilities are designated stretches of national highways reinforced and designed to serve as alternative runways for military aircraft during contingencies such as war (when regular airbases may be unavailable), humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief (HADR) operations. The concept adapts civilian highway infrastructure for dual military-civilian use, allowing fighter jets, transport aircraft, and helicopters to operate from dispersed locations rather than concentrated airbases that could be targeted in a conflict.
- Total ELF sites identified by IAF: 28, spread across 11 states and union territories
- Distribution: 11 in the western theatre, 9 in the east, 5 in south India, 3 in the central sector
- Highest number: Assam (5 designated ELFs), followed by West Bengal (4); Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan (3 each); Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu (2 each)
- Approximately 15 are already operational as of 2026
- First ELF activation: Agra-Lucknow Expressway (November 2016) — 6 IAF fighter jets including Su-30MKI performed landing exercises
- Major exercise on Agra-Lucknow Expressway: October 2017 — 16 fighter jets participated
- Uttar Pradesh alone has 4 operational ELFs: Yamuna Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway, and Ganga Expressway
- Ganga Expressway ELF: India's first night-landing capable highway airstrip (3.5 km, Shahjahanpur, activated 2025)
Connection to this news: The Moran ELF is the first such facility in the entire northeast region — a critical gap given the region's proximity to the China border. With 5 designated ELF sites in Assam alone (the highest among all states), the northeast is emerging as a priority zone for dispersed air operations infrastructure.
Border Infrastructure in Northeast India — Strategic Road and Air Development
India has significantly accelerated border infrastructure development in the northeast, driven by security imperatives along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Arunachal Pradesh alone shares a 1,126-km border with China, which does not recognize the McMahon Line and claims the state as "Southern Tibet." The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), established on 7 May 1960 under the Ministry of Defence, is the primary agency for constructing and maintaining strategic roads in border areas.
- BRO established: 7 May 1960; headed by Director General Border Roads (DGBR), a Lieutenant General-rank officer
- BRO achievement by 2022: Over 55,000 km of roads, 450+ permanent bridges (44,000+ metres total), 19 airfields
- Sela Tunnel (Arunachal Pradesh): World's longest twin-lane tunnel, inaugurated March 2024; provides all-weather connectivity to Tawang sector
- Arunachal Frontier Highway: 1,840-km highway under construction, running within 20 km of the LAC — India's strongest infrastructure assertion in the Himalayas
- 75 BRO infrastructure projects inaugurated on 12 October 2024 by the Defence Minister
- China has built 628 dual-use defence villages from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, including on disputed territory
Connection to this news: The Moran ELF adds air infrastructure to the northeast's expanding strategic network. While road connectivity through tunnels and highways addresses ground mobility, dispersed airstrips ensure that IAF fighter jets can operate from forward locations close to the China border without depending solely on permanent airbases that may be hours away.
C-130J Super Hercules — IAF's Tactical Airlift Workhorse
The Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules is the IAF's primary tactical transport aircraft, designed for operations in austere and unprepared airstrips including short highway strips. The PM's arrival at the Moran ELF aboard a C-130J demonstrated the aircraft's capability to operate from such facilities.
- Inducted into IAF: 5 February 2011, at Hindon Air Force Station
- Current IAF fleet: 12 C-130J-30 aircraft (stretched variant)
- Powered by: 4 Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines (4,591 shp each)
- Performance over earlier C-130 models: 40% greater range, 40% higher cruising ceiling, 50% faster climb, 21% higher max speed, 41% shorter takeoff run
- Special operations capability: Equipped with Infrared Detection Set (IDS) for precision low-level flying, airdrops, and landing in blackout conditions
- Operated by IAF's No. 77 Squadron ("Veiled Vipers") and No. 87 Squadron
- Can operate from semi-prepared surfaces and short runways — making it ideal for ELF operations
Connection to this news: The C-130J's ability to operate from the 4.2-km Moran ELF strip validates the facility's readiness for tactical airlift operations. In a conflict scenario, C-130Js could use ELFs for rapid troop deployment, casualty evacuation, and logistics support close to the frontier without relying on established airbases.
Defence Acquisition and Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence
The Moran aerial display featured both the Rafale (French-origin) and Sukhoi Su-30MKI (Russian-origin with Indian assembly), highlighting India's mixed fleet strategy. India's Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which replaced the earlier DPP, prioritises indigenous procurement through the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured — as the highest procurement preference.
- DAP 2020: Effective 1 October 2020; aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India
- Procurement hierarchy: Buy (Indian-IDDM) → Buy (Indian) → Buy & Make (Indian) → Buy & Make → Buy (Global)
- Buy (Indian-IDDM): Minimum 50% indigenous content, FDI capped at 49%, reserved for Indian vendors
- Buy (Indian): Minimum 60% indigenous content, does not require indigenous design
- Strategic Partnership (SP) Model: Promotes Indian private companies partnering with foreign OEMs for technology transfer (covers fighters, submarines, helicopters)
- Rafale: 36 aircraft ordered under 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement with France; operates from Ambala and Hashimara
- Su-30MKI: 272 ordered (largest non-Russian operator); assembled by HAL at Nashik under licence
Connection to this news: The aerial display at Moran showcased both imported and licence-assembled platforms. The long-term trajectory under DAP 2020 is toward indigenous platforms — the HAL Tejas Mk2, AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), and indigenous transport aircraft are intended to reduce dependence on foreign platforms for operations at facilities like the Moran ELF.
Key Facts & Data
- Moran ELF: 4.2-km reinforced stretch on Moran Bypass, NH-37, Dibrugarh, Assam
- Cost: Rs 100 crore
- Capacity: Fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes; transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes MTOW
- Status: First ELF in northeast India; inaugurated 14 February 2026
- Total ELF sites identified nationally: 28 across 11 states/UTs; ~15 operational
- BRO established: 7 May 1960; over 55,000 km of roads built
- C-130J inducted in IAF: February 2011; fleet of 12 aircraft
- IAF Rafale fleet: 36 aircraft (from France, 2016 IGA)
- Arunachal Pradesh border with China: 1,126 km
- Total India-China LAC length: ~3,488 km