E-Paper
India successfully test-fires Pinaka rockets, can destroy targets up to 45km
The rockets were launched at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday said it has successfully test-fired enhanced range versions of indigenously-developed Pinaka rockets and 122mm Caliber rockets from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
Twenty-five enhanced Pinaka rockets were launched in quick succession against targets at different ranges on Thursday and Friday. All the mission objectives were met during the launches. The ministry of defence in a statement that the enhanced range version of the Pinaka Rocket System can destroy targets at distances up to 45km.
News agency PTI cited an official as saying that the development of the enhanced Pinaka system was taken up to achieve longer range performance. All the flight articles were tracked by various range instruments in order to check the accuracy of the rockets hitting the target.
Also watch: Indian Pinaka rocket's enhanced version successfully test-fired by DRDO
Four enhanced range version of 122mm Caliber rockets, developed for the Indian Army and which can destroy targets up to 40km, were also test-fired with full instrumentation and they too met all mission objectives. This enhanced rocket system would replace the existing 122mm Grad rockets.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO and the industry on the successful launch of the enhanced Pinaka rockets and 122mm Caliber rockets.
The rocket system has been developed jointly by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) with manufacturing support from M/s Economic Explosives Limited in Nagpur.
(With agency inputs)
