New Delhi: India successfully tested the extended range Pinaka (Pinaka-ER) multi barrel rocket launcher system at Rajasthan’s Pokhran Range today, said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The rocket launcher system, which is an upgraded version of the earlier Pinaka rockets that has been in service for the last decade, has been designed by the DRDO, Development Establishment laboratory and Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory.
The new rocket launcher system has been designed to cater to the emerging requirements with advanced technologies to enhance the range.
"The Defence Research and Development Organisation, along with the army, had conducted a series of performance evaluation trials of these industry-produced rockets at the field firing ranges during the last three days," according to the Defence Ministry's statement.
"In the trials, enhanced range Pinaka rockets were test-fired at different ranges with various warhead capabilities. All the trial objectives were met satisfactorily," the statement further said.
The multiple rocket launcher, Pinaka, that has been used by the Indian Army for over a decade, will now have an enhanced range, the DRDO further informed.
Although the range of the new rocket launcher is not yet known, the Pinaka MK-I rocket system has a range of around 40km while Pinaka II variant can reach targets at a distance of about 60km.
This year in June, the Defence Research and Development Organisation had test-fired 25 enhanced range versions of Pinaka rockets. This was done in quick succession as part of the saturation attack simulation.