LUCKNOW, Aug. 31 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday highlighted Uttar Pradesh's growing role in the defence sector, asserting that six nodes of the defence industrial corridor in the state are being developed on over 12,500 acres. Adityanath made the comments as defence minister Rajnath Singh, along with him, inaugurated a defence equipment and drone manufacturing unit, aircraft engine, and defence aerospace test facility at Gautam Buddh Nagar, said a press statement issued by state government. Asserting that the state has nine operational ordnance factories and several defence public sector undertakings, the chief minister noted that under PM Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh's guidance, two new defence manufacturing centres have been sanctioned, one of them in UP. He also thanked the defence minister for bringing the BrahMos missile-manufacturing facility to Lucknow, adding that the missile system "displayed its might" during Operation Sindoor. "Lucknow's smile was incomplete until the echo of the missile reached the enemy's ears. In Operation Sindoor, BrahMos showcased its capability." Calling the Gautam Buddh Nagar project a milestone in shaping Noida into a defence hub, Yogi said: "A nation becomes strong only by striking a balance between 'shastra' (arms) and 'shaastra' (scriptural knowledge), and Uttar Pradesh is playing a leading role in defence production." "India has faced challenges since 1947, and the nature of those challenges keeps evolving. If you have power, the world bows before you. This ancient concept remains relevant today," the chief minister said. "The new facilities, including advanced drone manufacturing, would boost national security against electronic warfare, ensuring India no longer remains dependent on foreign powers," the CM said. He recalled India's changing warfare patterns since Independence, citing Operation Sindoor as a turning point that showcased India's strength and underlined the need to prepare for future challenges. Quoting Guru Dronacharya and Maharana Pratap, he emphasised that peace is secured only through strength: "When the nation is protected with shastra, only then can shaastra flourish." He cited other projects such as the DDL centre in Jhansi, AK-203 unit in Amethi, and Escort facility in Hardoi....