Aero India 2023: Pinaka ER, DPICM qualify for induction

India's state-run Munitions India Limited showcased Pinaka rockets in the Aero India 2023 being held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February. The company said that the ER and DPICM versions of Pinaka have cleared the trials with the Indian Army and qualified for induction. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)

The extended-range (ER) and dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) warhead versions of the surface-to-surface Pinaka Multi‐Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) have qualified for induction into the Indian Army.

An official from India's state-run Munitions India Limited (MIL) told Janes at the Aero India 2023 show, being held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February, that the Pinaka Mark I (Mk 1) rocket, with a range of 38 km, was inducted into the Indian Army in 1999. “The Pinaka Mk 1 ER and DPICM rocket versions have also cleared the trials, and the company now awaits the order from the army,” he added.The official said that the Pinaka guided rocket is also undergoing user trials with the Indian Army.

The Pinaka ER rocket has a range of 45 km, while the Pinaka DPICM warhead rocket has the same range as Pinaka Mk 1. The guided Pinaka rocket is capable of engaging with small-size enemy targets up to a range of 80 km.

MIL has also developed the Pinaka Mk 2 rocket to meet the army's requirements for a free-flight rocket with a range of 60 km. Pinaka Mk 2 has an increased motor length compared with Mk 1, and uses a high-energy propellant and case-bonded motor with finocyl grain design.