1962 war airstrip reopened in Arunachal

One of the six such ALGs in Arunachal Pradesh that have been upgraded and renovated,the Vijaynagar ALG on Friday witnessed the landing of an AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force,with J J Singh flagging it off for a formal inaugural flight from the last township located on the eastern tip of the country. Air Marshal S Varthaman,Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,Eastern Air Command,on the other hand,inaugurated the ALG. Others who attended the function included Assam Rifles Director-General Lt Gen Rameshwar Roy,Air Vice Marshal K S Gill of the Eastern Air Command,and officials from Arunachal Pradesh.

With extensive repairs undertaken and the entire PSP-sheet runway surface replaced by a cement and concrete runway,the ALG will now facilitate routine and regular air maintenance,an IAF spokesman said.

“The IAF has since been entrusted with the responsibility of developing the ALGs in Arunachal Pradesh with the dual purpose of giving a boost to local area development and enhancing military capabilities,” an IAF press note quoted Air Marshal S Varthaman as saying. He also said that since Vijaynagar was only accessible by air,the revival of this ALG would provide immense relief to the local population.