Jaitley inaugurates new aeronautical test range in Karnataka's Challakere

India's defence preparedness should always be optimal, says Jaitley

Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugrated a first-of-its-kind Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), which will be used to test the country's first unmanned aircraft, in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka on Sunday.

The facility, which will spread across an area of 4,200 acres, will be the leading test centre for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that has been using the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd airport in Bengaluru to test fly the Tejas combat aircraft so far.

DRDO has been mulling over the idea of shifting its flight activities to a newer locale due to the crowded airspace in the conutry's