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The Defence Ministry signed contracts worth ₹10,147 crore for ammunition for the Army's Pinaka Multiple Rocket Launch Systems (MRLS).
Contracts were signed with:
Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) for Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type-1 and
Munitions India Limited (MIL) for High Explosive Pre-Fragmented (HEPF)-Mk-1 rockets.
ADM Type-1 has a specialized warhead to target enemy forces and deny specific areas.
Upgraded Pinaka will be the mainstay of the Army’s long-range rocket artillery.
DRDO successfully tested guided Pinaka rockets with a 75 km range and plans to extend this to 120 km and 300 km.
The Pinaka MRLS battery can deliver 72 rockets on a target up to 75 km in 44 seconds.
A contract was signed with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to upgrade the Shakti software for the system
Pinaka Rockets
The Pinaka, a Multi-Barrel Rocket-Launcher (MBRL) system named after Shiva’s bow, can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds.
The development of the Pinaka was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s
Came in as an alternative to the Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher systems of Russian make called the ‘Grad’, which are still used by some regiments.
After successful tests of Pinaka Mark-1 in the late 1990, it was first used successfully in the battlefield during the 1999 Kargil War.
Current version is equipped with advanced technology to enhance its strength.
The metal weight is lesser compared to the earlier version.
Pinaka can fire various types of ammunition, enhancing its battlefield effectiveness.
Existing tested system can achieve a range of up to 45km which is a big feat for the Indian Army.
Future versions aim to increase the range to 120 km, and eventually 300 km.
Armenia became the first export customer of India’s Pinaka system
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