India to get another major DRDO missile testing range in Bengal

The proposed testing range in Junput will be the third major hub for DRDO after the Chandipur sites and the proposed testing centre in Andhra

NEW DELHI: In a boost for the country's defence testing capabilities, India will get another weapon and missile testing range in Bengal's Junput coastal village in Purba Medinipur district.In April 2024, DRDO had proposed a testing range along the Purba Medinipur coast to complement its integrated testing range in Odisha's Chandipur. However, the then TMC govt had not given land for it. During an event Friday, CM Suvendu Adhikari revealed that DRDO had sent a letter for the project but the then TMC govt at the helm did not respond. "I have okayed it. This will be a big project for West Bengal's development," he said.

A source in DRDO also confirmed to TOI that the missile testing project is coming up in Bengal.The proposed testing range in Junput will be the third major hub for DRDO after the Chandipur sites and the proposed testing centre in Andhra. India has one missile testing facility, known as the Integrated Test Range, which operates across two launch complexes in Odisha: Launch Complex-III at Chandipur-on-Sea and Launch Complex-IV, off Odisha coast.

While Launch Complex-III is used primarily for testing short-range tactical missiles, surface-to-air systems and multi-barrel rocket launchers like the Akash and Pinaka, Launch Complex-IV is designated for long-range strategic weapon trials, including Agni ballistic missile series and K-series submarine-launched missiles.The Chandipur testing facility provides a secure coastal location with a wide, unobstructed eastward trajectory over the Bay of Bengal. The proposed Junput range, located approximately 70km along the Bay of Bengal from Chandipur, will share the workload of the Odisha testing range.