This is a short version of the long article about the Indian rockets Pinaka. Below is a link for the whole article:
Pinaka is a Multiple Barrel Rocket Launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the Indian Army.
The system has a maximum range of 45 km for Mk-1, 60 km for Mk-2, and 90 km for Mk-2 ER. In development is Mk-3 for 120 km and Guided Pinaka for 75 km. The launcher can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds. The war-head for Mk-1 and Mk-2 is 100-250 kg. The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.
For better accurate the system use the Israeli Searcher-1, Searcher-2 and IAI Heron UAVs, And Israeli/Indian Battle Field Surveillance radars. These have also been coupled with purchases of the Israeli LORROS Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System which is a combination of FLIR/CCD system for long range day/night surveillance.
Future Plans
The Pinaka is in the process of further improvement. Israel Military Industries teamed up with DRDO to implement its Trajectory Correction System (TCS) on the Pinaka, for further improvement of its CEP. This has been trialed and has shown excellent results. The rockets can also be guided by GPS to improve their accuracy. A wraparound micro strip antenna has been developed by DRDO for this system.
While the Pinaka will not be developed further into a larger system, its success and the experience gained from the programme has led the ARDE and its partner organizations, to launch a project to develop a long range MBRL similar to the Smerch MLRS. A 7.2-metre rocket for the Pinaka MBRL, which can reach a distance of 120 km and carry a 250 kg payload, will be developed. These new rockets can be fired in 44 seconds, have a maximum speed of mach 4.7, and rise to an altitude of 40 km before hitting its target.
Integrating UAVs with the Pinaka is also in the pipeline, as DRDO intends to install guidance systems on these rockets to increase their accuracy.
This is a short version of the long article about the Indian rockets Pinaka. Below is a link for the whole article:
