In a major effort to boost the firepower of Indian artillery, India is now planning to develop rockets capable of striking targets at distances of 120 km and 200 km.
The rockets are being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system and will be capable of being fired from the same launchers that are in use at present, defence sources informed India Today.
The Pinaka rockets have been very successful in export markets as well, and Armenia has placed orders for them already.
India is also in talks with a few foreign customers who want to acquire the Pinaka rockets. Pinaka is an advanced artillery weapon system designed for all-weather, indirect area fire.
Its primary purpose is to rapidly deliver a large volume of firepower against critical targets in sensitive areas. Equipped with quick response capabilities and relatively high accuracy, the launcher can efficiently engage time-sensitive enemy targets within a short time frame.
During firing, the launcher system is supported by four hydraulically actuated outriggers. The cradle, which holds the pods containing the rockets, is pivoted to the revolving base. Each pod has six launcher tubes arranged in a 2×3 matrix. The vehicle cabin houses the Man Machine Interface for operating the launcher.
It can be operated either by connecting to a Fire Control Computer (FCC), Launcher Computer (LC), or manually. The launcher initialisation is facilitated by an Automatic Gun Alignment and Pointing System (AGAPS) or a dial sight.