Guided Pinaka, which has been upgraded from Pinaka Rocket, was successfully test fired from the Launch Complex-III Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha. All the mission objectives were successfully met during the trial.
About Pinaka Rocket Test Firing:
- The guided Pinaka has been combinedly developed by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).
- The Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, which evolved from Pinaka Mark-I, is equipped with a navigation, guidance and control kit and has been transformed to a Guided Pinaka. This conversion has facilitated the enhancement of its strike range and considerably improved its accuracy.
- The rocket was fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL). The rocket launcher can fire 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 44 seconds and destroy a target area of four sq km at a time.
Pinaka Rocket with Launcher displayed during a Republic Day - The radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight-path.
- The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the Army during a low-intensity conflict situation.
- The weapon’s capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for the enemy as it can even destroy their solid structures and bunkers.
- The performance of an earlier version of Pinaka was lauded during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on mountain tops. The Mark-II version of the rocket is expected to be inducted in the armed forces very soon.
Pinaka has already been inducted into the Indian Army.
