Indian Army's Pinaka System Successfully Completes Flight Trials

Ministry of Defence(MoD) said that the guided Pinaka Weapon System's flight tests have been conducted. An MoD official said the trials were part of Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) Validation Trials, adding that flight tests were undertaken in three phases at different field firing ranges.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also complimented DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful PSQR validation trials of the system.

“The induction of this guided Pinaka Weapon System will further boost the artillery fire-power of the armed forces”, the Defence Minister said.

The MoD official said that during these tests, the PSQR parameters that are ranging, accuracy, consistency and rate of fire for multiple target engagements in a salvo mode have been assessed by extensive testing of rockets.

“Twelve (12) rockets from each production agency from two in-service Pinaka launchers upgraded by the launcher production agencies have been tested”, he said. He added that the precision strike variant for the Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System is a totally indigenous weapon system.

“It is designed and developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and Proof and Experimental Establishment with Munitions India Limited and Economic Explosives Limited as production agencies for ammunition and Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Larsen and Toubro for Pinaka launcher and Battery Command Post”, he said.

Secretary, Department of Defence R and D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat also congratulated the teams associated with the trials. He said the rocket system completed all pre-requisite flight trials before induction into the Indian Army. The flight test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha in November by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). That test was conducted from a mobile articulated launcher. The missile was equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and more reliable performance.