India to Build New Missile‑Testing Facilities in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal

New missile‑testing facilities are slated for construction in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the eastern state of West Bengal, the Defence Ministry said on Monday. The sites will augment the existing network of ranges that includes Pokhran, Ramgarh and Wheeler Island, providing additional space for trials of indigenous and imported systems. Officials indicated that the projects will be overseen by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and are expected to become operational in the coming years. Expanding the testing infrastructure is part of a broader push for self‑reliance in defence, allowing faster validation of new weapons and reducing dependence on foreign test sites.