DRDO Chairman inspects construction work of Missile Testing Range in Krishna district

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman G Sateesh Reddy on Sunday inspected the ongoing construction work of the Missile Testing Range at Gullalamoda village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.

The Rs 1,000 crore MTR is being built on the Bay of Bengal coast, work on which commenced last year.

This will be the second MTR after the one at Balasore in neighbouring Odisha.


The project, coming up on a 154.4 hectare site, will comprise a technical facility, a few launch pads, control centre and state-of-the-art communications systems.

Both short and long-range missiles could be tested from this facility once it is fully up, official sources said.

"At least 1,000 people are working on building the project. The works are progressing at a brisk pace," Sateesh Reddy said on the occasion.

The DRDO would adopt Gullalamoda village and contribute to its overall development, he said.

Later, talking at a get-together organised by the Krishna District Writers' Association in Vijayawada, the DRDO chief said India's defence sector was constantly growing in strength.

"We are not only able to produce our arsenal using indigenous technology but also reached a stage where we are able to export weapons to other countries. Right now, defence equipment is being manufactured in 11 small and large factories within the country," Sateesh Reddy pointed out.

Former Andhra Assembly Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad said Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Supreme Court Chief Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana and Sateesh Reddy rose to great heights in their respective fields and not only made Telugus proud but also earned the acclaim of all countrymen.

At the same time, they have been striving to sustain the glory of Telugu language, Buddha Prasad noted.