According to the media sources, ordnance firms have emerged as another contender for a contract to produce improved Pinaka rocket systems for the Army.
On Tuesday, the increased range Rockets jointly developed by Yantra India Limited (YIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL), two new PSUs formed out of ordnance manufacturers, successfully completed a test fire at Pokhran. When the Army publishes a request for proposal (RFP) for the rockets, this clears the door for advanced stages such as user testing and financial bidding.
Solar Group, a private firm based in Nagpur, recently successfully test-fired Improved Pinaka Rockets, making it eligible for additional steps such as user trials and RFP bidding. Solar and power supply units can now compete for orders.
The tests lasted two days and involved firing 24 improved range rockets at four different ranges. According to a press release, all of the objectives were reached, and the trials were 100 percent successful.
The improved Pinaka rockets have a range of 45 kilometres, compared to 39 kilometres for the standard version, which is also produced at the ordnance facility. The rockets were built using designs from the DRDO’s Armament Research and Design Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
“Now that the concept has been validated, user trials can be conducted in collaboration with the Army.” According to an official here, the recent trial’s success means that there is now another established rocket production agency.
The Army now employs the Pinaka Mk1 rockets, which have a range of 39 kilometres. The bulk of the production is done at Ambajhari Ordnance Factory, which has now become YIL, as well as MIL, which has factories at Itarsi and Chandrapur.
The Army intends to replace the Pinaka MK-1 with the improved variant in the future. YIL has also recently tested the Pinaka rockets with a dual purpose enhanced conventional munition (DPICL) warhead and is presently awaiting user testing.
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