DRDO Conducts Successful Trials Of Enhanced Range Pinaka Rockets. Know All About The Multiple Rocket Launchers

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said Monday that it successfully conducted trials of the enhanced range Pinaka rockets at Balasore and Pokhran over the past few weeks. 

This is an image of the successful test carried out for a Pinaka Extended Range System in December 2021. On April 9, 2022, Pinaka Mark I Enhanced and Pinaka Area Denial Munition (ADM) were fired from the Army Test Range at Pokhran for consistency and accuracy. ( Image Source :Getty )

Pinaka Rockets Trials: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said Monday that it successfully conducted trials of the enhanced range Pinaka rockets at Balasore and Pokhran over the past few weeks. 

The DRDO said that Munitions India Limited and Economic Explosives Limited, the manufacturers of the system, met the user requirements necessary for the completion of the trials, news agency ANI reported.

The successful completion of the trials is a further step in the direction of the 'Make in India' initiative of the Indian government in the defence sector, DRDO officials said.

DRDO-developed Enhanced Range Pinaka rockets' user trials conducted at Balasore&Pokhran in past few weeks. In success for Make in India in defence,manufacturers incl Munitions India Ltd&Economic Explosives Ltd met user requirements at trials' completion

(Video:Defence Officials) pic.twitter.com/Pl1U2MOJf0

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022

Quoting the defence officials, the ANI report said the user trials of the DRDO-developed Range Pinaka rockets were conducted at Balasore and Pokhran over the past few weeks. They said it marked a successful milestone for the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector. 

More About The Pinaka Rockets

The Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India for the Indian Army, and comprises a free-flight artillery rocket. Pinaka Mark-I has a maximum range of 40 kilometres while the Mark-I enhanced version has a maximum range of 60 kilometres. 

The Pinaka MBRL is designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a laboratory of the DRDO. Based in Pune, the ARDE is the main DRDO lab involved in the development of conventional armaments, which refer to weapons with the ability to cause damage. 

Pinaka Mark-I and Mark-II have a multi-tube launcher vehicle, a replenishment-cum-loader vehicle, a replenishment vehicle, and a command post vehicle, according to the DRDO. The rocket launcher has two pods containing six rockets each, and can neutralise an area of 700 × 500 square metres within 48 seconds. 

Since the Indian Army requires a free fire rocket with enhanced range, ARDE developed the Pinaka Mk-II rocket with a range of 60 kilometres. 

On April 9, 2022, Pinaka Mark I Enhanced and Pinaka Area Denial Munition (ADM) were fired from the Army Test Range at Pokhran for consistency and accuracy, as part of developmental tests. On August 24, 2022, the user trials were conducted. The Pinaka ADM is made by Yantra India Limited, a Nagpur-based defence company. 

More DRDO Achievements

In the month of May, DRDO confirmed that successful trials of the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) were conducted at Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR), Rajasthan. 

The ATAGS is a completely indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by the DRDO, as part of the artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army. 

The DRDO has developed the ATAGS. Indian firms Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have produced the ATAGS.

The ATAGS is expected to replace the Bofors howitzers.