BALASORE: Achieving yet another significant milestone in India’s indigenous defence technology program, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) on Wednesday.
The critical test was carried out at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, where the advanced rocket successfully validated its performance at a user-defined minimum strike range of 60 kilometers.
‘Textbook Precision’ in Flight
According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, the trial successfully met all mission objectives.
During the flight, the Pinaka LRGR executed all planned in-flight manoeuvres and impacted the designated target with what the Ministry described as “textbook precision.” The rocket strictly followed its predicted trajectory and was closely tracked throughout its flight path by all deployed range instrumentation and telemetry systems.
Notably, the rocket was launched from the existing, in-service Pinaka launcher. This specific detail successfully demonstrated the platform’s high versatility and its capability to fire multiple variants of the Pinaka rocket system from the exact same launcher, providing the armed forces with critical operational flexibility.
Collaborative Indigenous Development
The Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket is the result of extensive collaboration between multiple DRDO laboratories.
The advanced weapon system has been primarily designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in active association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL). Crucial technical support was also provided by:
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Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL)
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Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
Furthermore, the complex flight trial was smoothly coordinated on the ground by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) and the Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE).
Leaders Laud the Milestone
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his congratulations to the DRDO, the Indian Army, and the various industry partners involved in the successful trial. He described the achievement as a major milestone in India’s indigenous capability to design and manufacture highly sophisticated long-range guided rockets.
Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh, who closely monitored the trials, also complimented all the scientific and technical teams associated with the successful test, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to advancing the nation’s strategic self-reliance in modern warfare technology.
