New Delhi, January 09 (HS): India has expedited the process of building another missile test range, which will be set up in Nagayalanka area of Andhra Pradesh. The new range will be used to test surface-to-air missile systems, anti-tank missiles and tactical missile systems. For this important project of Visakhapatnam, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has given a contract of Rs 1,084.54 crore to Mumbai-based company Afcons Infrastructure Limited. This project is planned to be completed within 36 months.
On the one hand, India is establishing its dominance in the world of aerospace by developing new missiles with high lethality, on the other hand, the Indian Army is also constantly working on a plan to increase its firing range. The Union Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved setting up of a new missile test range in Andhra Pradesh in October last year. The new missile range will be set up in Nagayalanka area of Andhra Pradesh. The new missile test range will be used for testing surface-to-air missile systems, anti-tank missiles and tactical missile systems.
DRDO has expedited the process of upgradation of Missile Test Complex (MTC) at Visakhapatnam, setting up of Strategic Application Facility (SAF), construction of workshop equipment for Advanced Missile and Combat Systems Workshop Facility (AMCSWF) etc. Here, very short range air defence systems, man portable anti-tank guided missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, quick reaction surface-to-air missile systems, vertically launched short range air defence systems and many other systems involved in the tactical domain can be tested. India till now conducts such tests from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) located at Chandipur in Odisha.
The work of this project in Visakhapatnam is to be completed within 36 months by Afcons Company, working under the design and build model, along with civil, mechanical and electrical works and interior decoration. This contract with DRDO has been done in view of the expertise of Afcons Infrastructure in executing large-scale defense projects. There was a plan to build an Integrated Test Range (ITR) in West Bengal on the lines of Chandipur in Odisha to test missiles, but this plan seems to be stuck after protests from fishermen and local residents. The work started in July to build a missile launch center in Junput in East Medinipur district has been suddenly stopped.
Apart from this, the Indian Army will set up a huge military maneuver range spread over 545 square kilometers in the dense forest area of Abujhmad, a stronghold of Maoists. It will be used for the practice of integrated battle groups, strike corps, fighter aviation brigade, rocket force. Abujhmad, spread across Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, is a forest area spread over 4,000 square kilometres. On August 07, the Chhattisgarh government has asked the Narayanpur district administration to acquire 54,543 hectares of land for the Army's war practice range inside the Abujhmad forests. The letter said that the range would be set up in the Sonpur-Garpa area of Orchha tehsil of the district in the Abujhmad forests.
Amid the standoff with China, the Indian Army on the northern border has recently set up a new high-altitude first firing range in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. This war practice range is important for tactical war exercises, which include attack tactics like defending against enemy tanks. A large piece of land is required to conduct military exercises, which is why war practice ranges are used. These ranges are dedicated areas for tank training and various battlefield scenarios, allowing soldiers to hone their skills in a safe environment.
Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
