The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had given its approval to establish a new missile testing range in Nagayalanka village, Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
- The new missile testing range will be used for test firing of various tactical missile systems such as: surface-to-air missile systems, anti tank missiles, among others being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Key Points:
i.Apart from setting up new missile testing range, CCS had also approved the proposal of purchasing 31 Predator long-endurance armed drones from the United States of America (USA) and two nuclear submarines to be built by ATV Project India Limited for developing strategic submarines for the Indian Navy (IN).It had also approved the various proposals for building roads for the armed forces along with space-based capabilities.
ii.Currently, DRDO is at an advanced stage of developing different types of weapon systems for the Indian armed forces like: the Very Short Range Air Defence Systems, Man-Portable Anti-tank Guided Missiles (MPATGM), anti-tank guided missiles, quick reaction surface-to-air missile systems, and many other systems in the tactical domain.
India signs USD 4 bn deal to buy 31 Predator drones from the USA
India signed an agreement worth USD 4 billion with the United States of America(USA) to acquire 31  MQ-9B Predator high-altitude, long-endurance drones from the USA based General Atomics, under the foreign military sales programme.
- The agreement includes 15 Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy(IN) and 16 Sky Guardians for the Indian Army(IA) and Indian Air Force (IAF).
i.In addition to the purchase, the Ministry of Defence(MoD) and General Atomics Global India Limited signed a contract for performance-based logistics, ensuring depot-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul services within India.
ii.The IA and the IAF plan to jointly deploy the Predator drones at air bases in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh(UP).
Missile testing ranges in India:
i.At present, most of the tactical missiles are tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR) which has two complexes: Launch Complex –IV (LC-IV) on Abdul Kalam Island (previously known as Wheelers island) and Launch Complex-III (LC-III) located at Balasore, in Chandipur district, Odisha.
ii.In April 2024, DRDO initiated the process of developing a new missile testing range at Junput village which is 177 kilometer (km) away from Kolkata, West Bengal (WB).
Recent Related News:
The National Test House (NTH), North Region (NR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP), has been provisionally approved by the Quality Council of India (QCI) as a Certification Body for Type certification of drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) under the Certification Scheme for UAS. The National Test House becomes the 1st Government Body to Certify Drones in India.
- This aligns with India’s vision under Drone Rules 2021 to foster a competitive drone ecosystem and aims to ensure drones meet safety, quality, and performance standards.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO):
It is the Research and Development (R&D) wing of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), (GoI).
Chairman- Dr. Samir Vankatpati Kamat
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi
Established-1958
