Rajnath Singh on Sunday will inaugurate the BrahMos super Sonic missile production unit at the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor in Lucknow.
BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh – Amid escalating military tensions with Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Production Unit at the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UP DIC) in Lucknow on Sunday. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to manufacture 80 to 100 BrahMos missiles annually.
About the BrahMos Missile
Developed by BrahMos Aerospace—a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya—the BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile with a range of 290 to 400 km and a top speed of Mach 2.8. It can be launched from land, sea, or air and follows a sophisticated “fire and forget” guidance system. It is considered a key component of India’s strategic defence arsenal.
Next-Generation BrahMos Missiles
In addition to the standard BrahMos, the newly launched Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow will also manufacture 100 to 150 next-generation BrahMos missiles per year. These upgraded variants will:
- Have a strike range of over 300 km.
- Weigh only 1,290 kg, compared to the current 2,900 kg.
- Be integrated into fighter aircraft like the Sukhoi, allowing them to carry up to three missiles instead of just one.
The first batch of next-gen missiles is expected to be ready and delivered within one year.
New Facilities and Infrastructure Announced
Several other major defence infrastructure developments were announced during the event:
- BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility: Officially inaugurated to handle the missile’s assembly and testing processes.
- Titanium and Super Alloys Materials Plant (Strategic Materials Technology Complex): Will produce advanced materials used in aerospace and defence manufacturing.
- Defence Testing Infrastructure System (DTIS): Foundation stone laid for this facility that will test and certify defence products.
Significance of the Defence Industrial Corridor
The BrahMos production unit, constructed at a cost of ₹300 crore, spans 80 hectares of land provided free of cost by the Uttar Pradesh government. The facility was completed in three and a half years, after the foundation stone was laid in 2021.
The initiative is part of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2018 Global Investors’ Summit. The corridor has six nodes—Lucknow, Kanpur, Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, and Chitrakoot—and aims to attract major investments in defence manufacturing. Uttar Pradesh is the second Indian state, after Tamil Nadu, to establish such a corridor.
Dignitaries Present
The inauguration event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alongside other senior government and defence officials.
