Machilipatnam Test Range Project

{{short description|Indian missile test range}}

Machilipatnam Test Range Project is a missile test range facility being built by DRDO of India.

As of 2012 the project is proposed to be set up at Gollalamoda village in Nagayalanka mandal of Krishna district near the coastal town of Machilipatnam.

name=hindu>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/land-identified-for-missile-testing-range/article4169119.ece|title = Land identified for missile testing range|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 6 December 2012|last1 = Srinivas|first1 = Rajulapudi}} The project requires over 260 acres of land with an investment of Rs 1000 Crores.

name=toi>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-25/hyderabad/35347459_1_v-k-saraswat-drdo-director-defence-research |title=Missile testing range to come up at Machilipatnam - Times of India |website=The Times of India |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107023901/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-25/hyderabad/35347459_1_v-k-saraswat-drdo-director-defence-research |archive-date=7 November 2013 |url-status=dead}} The defence minister of India, Rajnath Singh, attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the range on August 26, 2019 along with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.{{Cite news |last=Naidu |first=T. Appala |date=2019-08-18 |title=Bhumi puja for Missile Test Launch Facility likely on Aug. 26 |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/bhumi-puja-for-missile-test-launch-facility-likely-on-aug-26/article29129118.ece |access-date=2023-11-20 |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news |date=2019-08-19 |title=Rajnath Singh to perform ground-breaking ceremony of Missile Test Range Centre in Andhra Pradesh |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/rajnath-singh-to-perform-ground-breaking-ceremony-of-missile-test-range-centre-in-andhra-pradesh/articleshow/70744621.cms |access-date=2023-11-20 |issn=0013-0389}}

The facility is projected to be a full-fledged testing range to support both short-range and long-range missile missions. It will have a launch control centre, a few launch pads, a blockhouse and state-of-the-art communication network, along with permanent monitoring stations for telemetry and electro-optical tracking.{{cite web |last=Mallikarjun |first=Y. |date=16 August 2012 |title=India plans to establish two more missile testing ranges |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-plans-to-establish-two-more-missile-testing-ranges/article3777183.ece |website=The Hindu}} The project is expected to be completed in three years from the time of allotment of land to DRDO.

On 10 October 2024, under the Integrated Test Range, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the proposal for the establishment of a new missile testing range in Nagayalanka region in Andhra Pradesh.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-13 |title=India to develop new missile testing range on east Coast, CCS gives approval |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/india-to-develop-new-missile-testing-range-on-east-coast-ccs-gives-approval20241013200149 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=ANI}}