DRDO successfully test-fires upgraded version of Pinaka guided rocket system
20 Dec 2019
India has successfully test-fired an upgraded version of the indigenously developed Pinaka guided rocket system, in a boost to the Army's artillery power, defence sources said.
The multi-barrel rocket launch system, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was fired from the Proof and Experimental Establishment firing test range at Chandipur in the Odisha coast first around noon on Thursday and today morning, they said.
The weapon system, mounted on a Tatra truck, is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising an advanced navigation and control system, DRDO sources said.
The mission objective of today’s trial was to test low range, functioning of live warhead along with its proximity initiation and salvo launch. Two Pinaka missiles were launched in salvo mode with 60 seconds interval between two firings. Both the missiles were fired to engage a target located at 20 kilometre range and high accuracy was achieved.
The missile was integrated with live warhead with proximity fuse and was tracked by multiple range systems, viz, telemetry, radars, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), which confirmed the text book flight performance.
The sophisticated system has a maximum range of 40 km for Mark-I and 75 km for Mark-II variant, and can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds, the sources said.
Earlier in March, three successful trials of Pinaka guided rocket system were conducted from Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.