Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation of Defence Technology & Test Centre and BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, established by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on December 26, 2021. The foundation of the two units was laid in the presence of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
A first of its kind Defence Technologies & Test Centre (DTTC), spread over over approximately 22 acre is being set up to accelerate the growth of the defence and aerospace manufacturing clusters in Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UP DIC). It will consist of the following six sub-centres:
1. Deep-Tech Innovation & Startup Incubation Centre
2. Design & Simulation Centre
3. Testing & Evaluation Centre
4. Centre for Industry 4.0/Digital Manufacturing
5. Skill Development Centre
6. Business Development Centre
The BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, announced by BrahMos Aerospace, is a modern, state-of-art facility in the Lucknow node of UP DIC. It will cover over 200 acre and produce the new BRAHMOS-NG (Next Generation) variant, which carries forward the lineage of the BRAHMOS weapons system. This new centre would be ready in the next two to three years and will commence production at a rate of 80-100 BRAHMOS-NG missiles per year, according to a PIB release.
Congratulating the scientists and engineers of DRDO & BrahMos Aerospace, Rajnath exuded confidence that the two units will play a pivotal role in bolstering national security, defence production, as well as the economy of Uttar Pradesh. He said, the state-of-the-art facilities will prove to be an important milestone in the defence sector. He added that the establishment of these units will generate revenue; provide employment opportunities to the youth, and help in achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ envisioned by PM Narendra Modi. He said that the message of Make in India, Make for India, and Make for World has been sent out globally.
On the ‘Defence Technology and Test Centre’, Rajnath said that it will provide the technological base to develop defence products keeping in mind the young innovators and startups in Amausi region of Uttar Pradesh. It will help in bringing the MSMEs of Uttar Pradesh together and bring the state at the forefront in the field of defence and aerospace manufacturing, he said. He added that the Centre, through skill development, will create direct and indirect employment in the field of defence and aerospace manufacturing.
Rajnath said, “we have never been an aggressor, but are ready to defend our people against any nation with hostile intentions.” He added that the purpose of the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile system is to act as a deterrent. He said the system not only reflects the technical cooperation between India and Russia, but also the long standing cultural, political and diplomatic ties. He termed BRAHMOS as the world’s best and fastest precision-guided weapon which has strengthened India’s credible deterrence in the 21st century.
The Defence Minister added that BRAHMOS has empowered the Armed Forces and raised India’s military stature at the international level. On BRAHMOS-NG, he said, the more advanced missile system, which has proved its firepower on land, in water, and air, will greatly strengthen the modern combat capability of the Indian Army in the coming years. He said that the establishment of UP DIC has opened up new avenues for all-round technological progress of the state. “At the time of its inauguration, we had estimated an investment of Rs 3,732 crore. Investment of more than Rs 1,400 crore has already been received,” he informed.
Rajnath stated that India has attained a respectable position in areas of defence technologies, including the development of state-of-the-art missile systems in the last few years and has made commendable progress in building its defence industrial base. He applauded the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for taking various initiatives for improving infrastructure and the welfare and progress of people from all sections of society.
Speaking on the occasion, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thanked the Defence Minister for the initiatives of Ministry of Defence such as UP DIC, DefExpo-2020, and the establishment of a unit of Bharat Dynamics Limited at Jhansi. He said the work had started in all six nodes of the UP DIC and that the foundation stone laying of the two units is a fulfilment of the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in the defence sector. He highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s potential for progress in the defence sector due to the large number of Medium, Small Scale, and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
In his opening address, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy thanked theDefence Minister for making land available for the DTTC at Lucknow. He expressed gratitude to UP Chief Minister for providing 200 acres of land for the BRAHMOS manufacturing centre.
The state-of-the-art Defence Technologies & Test Centre is being set up to implement the MoU exchanged between Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and DRDO during DefExpo-2020 at Lucknow in presence of the Defence Minister and the UP Chief Minister.
BrahMos Aerospace has initiated work on a new, more advanced variant of the missile – BRAHMOS-NG. This new missile, having smaller, lighter, and smarter dimensions, would be designed for deployment on a wider number of modern military platforms, including land, sea, underwater and air.