Lucknow, May 12 -- The BrahMos production unit complex in Lucknow is considered the "jewel in the crown" of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor project.

With the inauguration of the unit on Sunday, the state capital has entered the league of cities producing cruise missiles.

Located in Sarojini Nagar of the Defence Corridor's Lucknow node, the project has been completed in three-and-a-half years. The facility will manufacture the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile-a joint India-Russia project with a range of 290 to 400 km and a top speed of Mach 2.8.

The BrahMos can be launched from land, sea, or air and uses a 'fire and forget' system, making it highly precise and difficult to intercept.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...