Pinaka Guided Rocket with enhanced 120 kilometer range undergoes maiden flight test

DRDO successfully tested the 120-km Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket, achieving precise target impact during its maiden trial. (PTI Photo)

The maiden flight test of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR 120) was conducted successfully at Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur on Monday. Designed by Pune based premier DRDO facility, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), the rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 kilometers and impacted on the target with textbook precision.

In the battlefield, long range artillery systems like Pinaka — named after Lord Shiva’s bow — are used for attacking the adversary targets prior to the close quarter battles which involve smaller range artillery, armoured elements and the infantry. This rocket is designed by ARDE in association with another Pune based DRDO facility High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) with support from Hyderabad based facilities Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI).

“All the deployed range instruments tracked the flight throughout its trajectory. The flight trial was coordinated by ITR and Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE). The LRGR was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher demonstrating its versatility and providing launch capability of Pinaka variants of different ranges from the same launcher.” a press statement from the Ministry of Defence read. The Mark-I version of Pinaka has a range of around 40 kilometers and the Mark-II version can fire up to 75 kilometers, both of which are in service.

A Pinaka rocket system with 120 kilometer range will significantly boost the capabilities of the existing Pinaka regiments.

“Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on the achievement. He stated that the successful design and development of long range guided rockets will boost the capabilities of Armed Forces, terming it as a game changer. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat witnessed the trial and congratulated all the teams for accomplishing the mission objectives.” said the MoD press statement.

The development of the Pinaka was started by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the late 1980s, as an alternative to the multi barrel rocket launching systems of Russian make called the ‘Grad’. After successful tests of Pinaka Mark-1 in the late 1990, it was first used in the battlefield during the Kargil war of 1999. Subsequently multiple regiments of the system came up.

The Pinaka, which is primarily a multi barrel rocket system (MBRL) system, can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds. One battery of the Pinaka system consists of six launch vehicles, accompanied by the loader systems, radar and links with network based systems and a command post. One battery can neutralise an area one kilometre by one kilometre. As a key tactic of long range artillery battle, the launchers have to ‘shoot and scoot’ to ensure they themselves do not become the targets, especially due to its back blast. Thus the launcher vehicles  are required to have a high degree of maneuverability.