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India carries out maiden test of long-range Pinaka rocket
The successful test conducted by DRDO came on a day the DAC gave its initial approval for the purchase of military hardware worth ₹79,000 crore
NEW DELHI: India on Monday carried out the maiden flight test of Pinaka long-range guided rocket (LRGR 120) from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha, the defence ministry said.
“The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km, demonstrating all in-flight manoeuvres as planned. The LRGR impacted on the target with textbook precision,” it said in a statement.
The successful test conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation came on a day the defence acquisition council (DAC) gave its initial approval for the purchase of military hardware worth ₹79,000 crore, including long-range guided rocket ammunition for the army’s Pinaka multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).
All the deployed range instruments tracked the flight throughout its trajectory, the ministry said. The rocket is designed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, with support from Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat.
The LRGR was launched from an in-service Pinaka launcher, demonstrating its versatility and establishing launch capability of Pinaka variants of different ranges from the same launcher. Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on the achievement, adding that the successful design and development of long-range guided rockets will boost the capabilities of the armed forces.
