BHUBANESWAR: Days after Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) brought to fore the quality issues in short-range Pinaka rockets, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) flight tested the rocket system for an extended range from a test facility off Odisha coast on Friday. With guidance system, navigation and control kit, two rounds of Pinaka rockets were successfully test-fired for a range of 60 km from Proof and Experiment Est a b l i s h m e n t ( P X E ) a t Chandipur-on-sea. While Mark-I version of the rocket has a range of 40 km, its extended version dubbed as Mark- II can destroy targets at a distance of 70 km with enhanced terminal accuracy.
The rockets evolved from its earlier variants were fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher. “The rockets travelled the desired distance proving the efficiency and capability of the system. The tracking radars have monitored the movements of the rockets till the point of impact,” a defence official said. The guided Pinaka has been jointly developed by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. “The success of guided Pinaka has reinforced the technological strength of the country in converting the unguided systems into weapons of high precision.
Two more rounds of the rocket system have been planned on Saturday,” informed the official. Pinaka systems comprise a rocket launcher which can fire 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 44 seconds and destroy a target area of four sq km at a time. The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the Army during a low-intensity conflict situation. Pinaka is the first indigenous rocket system successfully designed, developed and produced by DRDO labs with the help of private industries including L&T and Tata.
The system’s capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for enemies as the rocket can even destroy their solid structures. Citing the reports of Failure Analysis Board (FAB), constituted by ARDE, the CAG in its report tabled in Parliament on August 7, had stated the rocket’s shortrange version failed several times probably for structural failure of warhead that might have been caused due to errors in manufacturing process.