Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher: India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Saturday tested Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher with long range rockets equipped with area denial munitions and locally developed fuses.
“The Pinaka-ER Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System was successfully tested at Pokharan range,” said the ministry of defence.
The system is jointly designed by laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.
The DRDO, after establishing the performance efficacy of the enhanced range Pinaka, transferred the technology of the system to an Indian defence company.
The DRDO, along with the Indian Army, conducted series of performance evaluation trials of these industry produced rockets at Field Firing Ranges during the last three days.
In these trials, enhanced range Pinaka rockets were test fired at different ranges with various warhead capabilities.
Officials said that all the trial objectives were met satisfactorily.
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Total 24 Pinaka extended range rockets were fired for different ranges and warhead capabilities to meet the objectives of accuracy and consistency.
With this, the initial phase of technology absorption of Pinaka-ER by the Industry Partner has successfully been completed making the Industry Partner ready for series production of the rocket system.
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Extended Range Pinaka Rocket System
The Pinaka-ER is the upgraded version of earlier Pinaka version which has been in service with the Indian Army for the last decade.
The system has been designed in the light of emerging requirements with advanced technologies enhancing the range.
DRDO’s Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher. (File Photo).
Pinaka-ER with Area Denial Munition
The Area Denial Munition (ADM) variants of munition designed by the ARDE, Pune for Pinaka and manufactured by the industry partners under technology transfer were successfully carried out at Pokhran Field Firing Ranges.
These trials are part of performance evaluation under technology absorption, said the officials.
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Pinaka MRBL Indigenous Fuse
The indigenously-developed proximity fuses for Pinaka rockets have also been tested. The ARDE, Pune has developed different fuses for Pinaka rocket for different types of applications.
After design validation trials, dynamic performance evaluation of these fuses have been evaluated with flight testing.
Consistency in performance of fuses has been established in consecutive flight trials.
Officials said these fuses have been developed through dedicated indigenous research and development efforts for the first time in the country.
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They said these indigenously developed fuses will replace the imported fuses and save foreign exchange.
The ARDE has also designed miniaturised fuses for ADMs. Performance of dual-purpose Direct-Action Self Destruction (DASD) & Anti-Tank Munition (ATM) fuses were evaluated during the current flight trials and the results were satisfactory.
All the mission objectives were successfully in all the above trials.
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DRDO transfers technology to industry
Defence Ministry said the industry partner manufactured the enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 rockets with DRDO’s handholding during the production and quality assurance.
In continuation of the Transfer of Technology absorption, rockets developed by the industry have undergone the performance evaluation and quality certification process.
The hand holding during the production, quality assurance and launch coordination for bulk production is being provided by the DRDO design team and quality assurance agencies nominated for the system.
