West Bengal is set to get a new weapon and missile testing facility in Junput, Purba Medinipur, expanding India’s defence testing infrastructure in the eastern region. The project was first proposed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2024, but the TMC government under then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not provide the land sought for the facility.
🚀 India to expand its missile-testing infra with DRDO’s new Junput facility in West Bengal
— Swarajya (@SwarajyaMag) September 13, 2026
🎯 The coastal range will support short-range missile and radar trials
🇮🇳 Junput will help ease testing pressure on Chandipurhttps://t.co/nScybUiGnq
The project has now moved forward after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that the state government has responded to DRDO and approved the proposal. The facility is expected to supplement the existing Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.
DRDO proposal had been pending since 2024
DRDO had proposed setting up a weapon testing range along the Purba Medinipur coast in April 2024. The plan was aimed at creating another testing site that could share the workload of the Chandipur facility.
However, the proposal did not move ahead at that time as the then Trinamool Congress government (TMC) did not provide the required land.
Speaking at an event on Friday, 11th September, Suvendu Adhikari said DRDO had written to the state government regarding the project, but the previous government did not respond to the letter. He said he had now approved the proposal and described it as a major project for the development of West Bengal.
A DRDO source also confirmed to The Times of India that the missile testing project is coming up in West Bengal.
Junput to add another major testing hub
The proposed Junput facility will become an important addition to DRDO’s missile and weapons testing network. It will be the third major testing hub after the facilities at Chandipur in Odisha and the proposed testing centre in Andhra Pradesh.
India’s existing Integrated Test Range is located in Odisha and operates through two launch complexes. These are Launch Complex-III at Chandipur-on-Sea and Launch Complex-IV, located off the Odisha coast.
Launch Complex-III mainly handles trials of short-range tactical missiles, surface-to-air systems and multi-barrel rocket launchers such as Akash and Pinaka. Launch Complex-IV is used for long-range strategic weapon tests, including the Agni series of ballistic missiles and K-series submarine-launched missiles.
Junput will supplement Chandipur range
The Chandipur facility is important for missile testing because its coastal location provides a clear eastward path over the Bay of Bengal. The new Junput range is around 70 km along the Bay of Bengal from Chandipur.
The Junput facility is therefore expected to help DRDO handle more weapon and missile trials and reduce the workload on the Odisha testing range. It will further strengthen India’s defence testing capabilities in the eastern part of the country while adding a major defence-related project to West Bengal.
