West Bengal clears DRDO missile test facility at Junput to expand eastern seaboard ranges

Strategic imperative for expanding test range capacity

For over three decades, India's flight-testing architecture for airborne weapons and missile systems has remained centered along the coast of Odisha. The Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur and the launch facility on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island—formerly Wheeler Island—have served as primary proving grounds for strategic and tactical platforms developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). From early tactical deployments of the Prithvi and Akash systems to long-range Agni missiles, Pinaka rocket artillery, and K-series submarine-launched weapons, Odisha's range complexes have carried the main burden of national missile validation.

However, rapid expansion of domestic weapon programs over recent years has generated unprecedented demand for range time. The development of air defense interceptors, hypersonic technology demonstrators, long-range cruise missiles, and routine user trials for inducted hardware created significant scheduling congestion at Chandipur and Kalam Island. Operating within a single geographical corridor meant concurrent testing of multiple long-range platforms was virtually impossible, often forcing critical weapon programs to wait months for dedicated firing windows.

To alleviate these operational bottlenecks and diversify national testing infrastructure, the West Bengal government in September 2026 approved DRDO's proposal to establish a dedicated weapon and missile testing facility at Junput in Purba Medinipur district. This administrative clearance represents a vital step in expanding India's eastern seaboard testing network, providing an essential operational node that directly complements existing assets in Odisha and relieves range saturation.

Technical specifications and operational architecture of the Junput facility

Situated along the Bay of Bengal coast in Purba Medinipur, Junput lies approximately 70 to 75 kilometers aerial distance northeast of Chandipur, roughly 40 kilometers from Digha, and 177 kilometers from Kolkata. The facility is planned on an 8.73-acre coastal parcel. Rather than functioning as a standalone national range, Junput is designed as an integrated extension node of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, sharing tracking systems, telemetry networks, and command infrastructure.

The primary technical benefit of the Junput node lies in extending the ocean testing baseline. Currently, the air distance between Launch Complex-III at Chandipur and Launch Complex-IV on Abdul Kalam Island is about 74 kilometers. In standard air defense trials, a target missile or threat vehicle is launched from Chandipur while an interceptor missile is fired from Kalam Island to execute a mid-air engagement over the sea. While suitable for short-to-medium range systems, this 74-kilometer distance limits the evaluation of advanced air defense missiles requiring larger engagement envelopes.

By integrating Junput into this tracking network, the available linear sea-testing distance along the Bay of Bengal expands to approximately 150 kilometers. This expanded baseline allows engineers to evaluate long-range air defense interceptors, including Advanced Air Defence (AAD) variants and new surface-to-air systems, across broader engagement distances and higher target speeds. The extended corridor provides necessary spatial depth to capture high-resolution radar, optical tracking, and telemetry data throughout the terminal interception phase.

Operating a coastal test facility near inhabited regions requires strict safety protocols. Standard flight-test procedures at Junput will include temporary evacuation measures for residents within a one-kilometer radius of the launch pad during live firings, supported by designated shelters and compensation frameworks. Additionally, every test will be preceded by international aviation and maritime notifications—including NOTAM and NAVAREA alerts—to temporarily clear air routes and commercial fishing channels downrange.

Dual-node strategic expansion: Nagayalanka and Phase-II BMD testing

The clearance for Junput fits into a broader multi-node expansion strategy aimed at strengthening national testing capacity. Concurrently, DRDO is advancing construction of the Navdurga Missile Test Range at Nagayalanka in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Budgeted at approximately ₹1,460 crore, the Nagayalanka facility represents a specialized testing complex engineered to support complex, high-altitude interception trials.

While Junput focuses on extending engagement envelopes for tactical missiles, air defense systems, and coastal radars, Nagayalanka is tailored for Phase-II of India's Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) program. Phase-II BMD aims to intercept incoming hostile ballistic missiles in the 5,000-kilometer class, requiring multi-layered defense architectures operating across both exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric altitudes.

Testing Phase-II BMD interceptors demands vast geographical tracking geometry that cannot be accommodated within legacy ranges alone. By establishing Nagayalanka alongside Junput and the Odisha facilities, DRDO is creating a resilient multi-node testing network along the eastern coast. This setup enables parallel trial campaigns, eliminating single points of failure caused by regional weather disruptions or localized logistical constraints.

Expanding test-and-evaluation infrastructure also directly reinforces India's defense export ambitions. As indigenous platforms such as Pinaka rockets, Akash air defense systems, and lightweight torpedoes find international customers, routine lot-acceptance firings must be conducted without stalling ongoing research programs for next-generation systems. Added throughput at Junput and Nagayalanka ensures domestic production schedules and export commitments remain on track.

Engineering requirements for modern ground support and test infrastructure

Building and operating modern missile test facilities involves far more than civil engineering and launch pad construction. Every flight-test complex relies on a complex network of ground support equipment (GSE), ground handling equipment (GHE), automated test equipment (ATE), and high-pressure fluid systems. Before any missile is cleared for launch at Junput or Nagayalanka, it undergoes rigorous ground-based testing to verify all flight-critical subsystems.

Missile launch platforms depend heavily on precision electro-hydraulic servo systems for accurate elevation, azimuth positioning, and rapid leveling under heavy dynamic loads. These hydraulic systems must maintain strict pressure control and environmental resilience against salt fog and coastal humidity. Similarly, pneumatics play a critical role in pre-launch preparation, requiring clean high-pressure gas purge systems—utilizing gaseous nitrogen or dry air at high pressures—to flush fuel lines, pressurize fuel tanks, and actuate pneumatic control surfaces.

At the ground station level, automated test benches and hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) simulators are essential to validate flight control electronics, guidance packages, and thrust vectoring actuators prior to ignition. Automated test benches execute real-time diagnostic routines to verify signal integrity, power distribution, and safety interlocks, ensuring maximum mission reliability.

As India advances indigenous defense capabilities under national procurement guidelines, the demand for military-grade test infrastructure continues to grow rapidly. Neometrix Defence Limited contributes directly to this defense ecosystem by designing and manufacturing turnkey test benches, high-pressure gas systems, custom hydraulic test rigs, and ground support equipment that enable research establishments and manufacturing partners to evaluate critical defense hardware with complete reliability.