Full-fledged ATR at Challakere to become operational today

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley is set to inaugurate the country’s first-of-its-kind Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) set up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Challakere, Chitradurga district, at 3.30 pm on Sunday.

Built at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore on 4,290 acres of land at Varavoo Kaval village, the ATR will be used to conduct trials of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), air-to-ground weapons, parachutes and aerostats. It has a 2.2-km runway and a six-storey range control centre. The runway will be extended by another kilometre in the next phase. A township comprising schools, hospitals and houses will come up on 200 acres of land, a source in the DRDO said.

With the ATR’s inauguration, the DRDO can start testing some of the indigenous products being developed, including the naval and trainer versions of the Light Combat Aircraft, unmanned air vehicles Rustom 1 and 2, and the airborne early warning and control systems meant for surveillance.

The ATR has a state-of-the-art Range Control Centre (RCC) with a series of air traffic display systems capable of remote control of radar operations. It has an ATC radio frequency voice communication system, ground telemetry system, mission video distribution and display system, and range operational communication system.

The Radar Centre houses the primary and secondary surveillance radars. The ATR is protected by an eight-foot-tall compound spread across 20 km with a watch tower every 2 km. 

According to the Ministry of Defence, apart from the DRDO, the multi-agency complex houses facilities of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Indian Institute of Science.

Hurdles in project
The Ministry of Defence bought land from the state government for Rs 12 crore in 2008. The ATR faced several impediments before its completion. Local farmers had opposed land acquisition for the project. In 2013, the National Green Tribunal halted the construction.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) withheld the consent for establishment application but issued it later.