Super highways of national security

There is another important consideration. After ourborder wars in the ’60s the need was felt for good roads in the border areas in order that, in case of an eventuality, the army would be able to progress its operations without difficulty. Hence, the Border Roads Organisation came into being.

However, post-Pokharan-2, under the circumstances when the Government of India has forsworn any first use of nuclear weapons and Pakistan has not, it becomes imperative that nuclear capable fighters of the IAF and surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) are dispersed widely and protected against the adversary’s first use, in order to make sure that these assets will be available for this country’s nuclear response. In order to stop our nuclear reaction, the known air bases of the Air Force would be primary targets for preemptive attacks by manned fighters of the adversary or by his long range SSMs. Therefore, our planes and SSMs have to be elsewhere.

It follows that there is a requirement for creating many make-shift, low-cost airfields dispersed deep into thecountryside. A runway from which planes take off and land is basically a road. It would therefore be prudent and cost-effective to construct some of the straight parts of the highway in different areas as stand-by runways.

One needs to identify what would be the requirements for runway making which would be additional to those for a highway. There would have to be a straight stretch of about 3 km with clear approaches and shoulders. The strength of a runway surface is indicated by what is known as Load Classification Number (LCN). For a modern heavy fighter the LCN has to be about 50. That number indicates to the engineers the thickness or hardness of the road needed in that area along with what should be the type of surface, either concrete or bitumen (the grade of bitumen for roads and runways is different). According to the Director, CRRI, the road width generally planned is two-and-a-half meters per lane, i.e. a 6-lane highway would be 15 meters wide with a central verge of about 2 to 3 meters betweenthe two carriage ways, or a total of about 18 meters. This is close to the IAF’s minimum requirement of 75-feet width for a stand-by runway.

Just off the highway runway, there would have to be a few camouflaged shelters for the SSMs or planes and for flight and ground crews. The nearest IAF command would coordinate for the maintenance of these runways. It would be also empowered to control the road traffic, when necessary. It would be entrusted to provide all support facilities.

The holistic concept that is being suggested in this article is not new. In Sweden, one can see the latest fighters operating without any difficulty from designated and prepared highways. After landing the aircraft are refueled, rearmed and between flight servicing carried out. The planes then take off.

Although this proposal is cost-effective and allows for the new nuclear security environment, one supposes that this suggestion can be implemented only by the newly constituted National Security Council (NSC), as it would requirecooperation and coordination between the ministries of defence, finance, surface transport and the concerned state governments.

The writer is a retired air vice marshal