The Russian military plans to test around 70 types of rocket and missile weaponry at a major testing site this year, a Defense Ministry spokesman has said.

The testing program at the Kapustin Yar range in southern Russia will include about 300 launches of rockets, missiles, and aerial drones as part of more than 180 R&D projects, said Colonel Igor Yegorov.

The range is located in the Astrakhan region between the cities of Volgograd and Astrakhan. It is known for tests of Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles (photo), S-300 and S-400 air defense systems and Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems.

In addition, Kapustin Yar is often used to host large-scale military exercises.

The 4th State Central Range at Kapustin Yar was established in 1946 and is considered the birthplace of the Russian rocket industry. The first rocket launch on October 18, 1947, was of one of 11 German A-4s captured during World War II.