India's Pinaka elevates defence capabilities: Report

Washington, Jan 13 (IANS) India's new Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120) marks a major doctrinal shift for the Indian Army, transitioning from "volume saturation to precision strike", a report said on Tuesday.

It added by transforming from near-front impact to deep operational effects, the new LRGR-120 turns tube artillery support to a standoff tool of deterrence.

According to a report in US based magazine The National Interest, this weapon will redefine the Indian Army warfare and would be brought to bear against either the Pakistanis or Chinese moves threatening Indian interests in the near-future.

“India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested its new Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120) at the end of last year. According to multiple reports on the matter, the weapon hit targets as far away as 120 kilometres with perfect precision. It is a completely domestically developed weapon system that will enhance the Indian Army's overall long-range strike capability—and these weapons can be fired from the launchers that India already possesses, thereby decreasing overall costs,” it detailed.

India's new LRGR-120, the report said, depends on the Inertial Navigation System (INS) with mid-course updates and terminal guidance to ensure high precision.

“The Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) launchers can fire the LRGR-120s in salvos of up to eight guided rockets. These weapons are designed for standoff, precision-strikes directed against enemy command centers, artillery, and logistical hubs,” it mentioned.

The report stressed that France has shown interest in acquiring the Pinaka system from India, underscoring the growing demand of this new Indian weapon in the international arms market.

“Nevertheless, the HIMARS in particular has greater ranges than the Pinaka. But this new weapon created by the DRDO nonetheless gives India a much-needed boost in its own long-range fires — and it ensures that India's domestic arms production reaps the benefits by making it entirely within the country,” it stated.

The report noted that the Indians have indicated to the fact that the Pinaka is not a static weapon with upgraded variants planned over time.

“As such, the current ranges on Pinaka will be extended in future variants. There have even been 200–300-kilometre variants discussed among the DRDO designers of this platform. So New Delhi is committed to making this weapon system as competitive as possible on the world stage — and as lethal as possible, given the two threats India faces from neighboring China and Pakistan,” it stated.

IANS

scor/as