New Delhi: The indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system, which is being exported to Armenia and is under consideration by the French military, has become more powerful.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced Thursday evening that it has successfully completed the flight tests of the Guided Pinaka Weapon System as part of Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) Validation Trials.
This is the guided version of the Pinaka system. This means that the rockets have seekers and can be used for precision strikes. The earlier version was not guided and would be used to pulverise a larger area with multiple rockets even if the target was small.
Sources in the defence establishment said that being guided, the new system has a longer range than the previous version.
Work is also ongoing on a guided Pinaka system with ranges of 120km, 150km & 200km to counter China’s long-range guided rocket systems. The existing Pinaka has a range of about 37km.
The enhanced-range rockets that are also being inducted have a range of about 45km. The army has liked the system and it is considered to have the potential for good exports.
Armenia has already bought these systems and the first regiment of the Pinaka was exported this month.
Interestingly, France is also evaluating the Pinaka system with sources indicating that they are interested in the guided version.
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What the test was all about
The DRDO said that the flight tests have been conducted in three phases at different field firing ranges.
During these tests, the PSQR parameters—ranging, accuracy, consistency and rate of fire for multiple target engagements in salvo mode—have been assessed by extensive testing of rockets.
Twelve rockets from each production agency from two in-service Pinaka launchers, upgraded by the launcher production agencies, have been tested.
The weapon system has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, and Proof & Experimental Establishment.
However, the state-run Munitions India Ltd and Economic Explosives Ltd are the production agencies for the ammunition, while Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Larsen & Toubro for the Pinaka launcher and Battery Command Post.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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