India conducts Pinaka long-range guided rocket maiden flight

DRDO conducted the maiden test flight of its newly developed Pinaka long-range guided missile. (PIB)

India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted the maiden flight test of its Pinaka long-range guided rocket (LRGR).

Following the test on 23 August, India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km and demonstrated all the flight manoeuvres that were planned for it.

“The LRGR impacted on the target with textbook precision,” the MoD added.

The Pinaka LRGR was launched from the Indian Army's Pinaka Multi‐Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL). This demonstrated the launcher's capability to fire Pinaka rockets of different ranges.

The MoD said the test was conducted by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) located in Chandipur, Odisha, in collaboration with a DRDO unit known as the Proof and Experimental Establishment.

According to the MoD, the Pinaka LRGR is designed by the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) in collaboration with other DRDO agencies. These include the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, and Research Centre Imarat.

The Pinaka MBRL is an indirect fire, free-flight artillery rocket system (ARS), which is designed for shoot-and-scoot operations and is based on a Tatra 8×8 truck chassis.

Janes reported in January 2024 that the Indian Army has approved the development and trials of a new rocket, intended to be an updated version the Pinaka system. The LRGR is an enhanced version of the baseline of Pinaka, which has a range of 42 km.

The baseline Pinaka rocket, designated Pinaka Mk I, features a pre-fragmented high‐explosive (PFHE)-type warhead, weighing 100 kg. The rocket is fuelled by solid composite propellant.