India’s reputation as a defense exporter is improving day by day. This comes amid reports of keen interest in India-made Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems. The Indians have long touted the Pinaka as being comparable to the American-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems).

Speaking on this subject, Brigadier General Stéphane Richou, in charge of general international affairs of the French army, reportedly declared: The Hindu“The Indians presented the Pinaka to my Chief of Army Staff last February. It’s very interesting for us. We are organizing the evaluation of the three or four best suppliers of this system, including India. We have a special mission coming to India in the coming weeks, to evaluate both the launcher and the munitions… We are looking at this possibility among several other systems that we are considering.

This remark by French Brigadier General Stéphane Richou came as he visited India last week for the 20th Army staff talks.

Currently, the “Made in India” Pinaka is being exported to Armenia under an export deal valued at $250 million.

As interest in this weapon grows, here is a better understanding of the Pinaka rocket launcher.

Pinaka Lethality, Explained

THE
Pinaka Weapon Systemnamed after the bow of the Hindu god Shiva, was developed by the Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), an important arm of the Research and Development Organization for Defense (DRDO).

Development of this weapon began in the late 1980s as an alternative to Russian-made multi-barrel rocket launch systems.

But what exactly is the Pinaka weapons system? Simply put, it is a multi-barrel rocket system, capable of firing 12 rockets in just 44 seconds. A Indian Express The report explains that a single battery of the Pinaka system consists of six launchers, accompanied by loading systems, a radar and links to network-based systems and a command post. A battery can neutralize an area of ​​one kilometer by one kilometer.

There are currently two variants of the Pinaka: the Mark I, which has a range of approximately 40 kilometers, and the Mark-II version, which can fire up to 75 kilometers. It is planned to increase the range of the system, first to 120 km, then even up to 300 km.

According to experts, Pinaka rockets can reach speeds of Mach 4.7 (5,800 km/h), making them very fast and difficult to intercept. The rocket warhead can have different designs for various combat uses. The launcher’s ability to fire and move allows it to escape counter-battery fire, reports the Eurasian Times.

The Pinaka weapon system is traditionally mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility reasons, with experts adding that the weapon system allows ground forces to have a deep strike option and also has the capability to strike critical military installations.

Use of Pinaka by Indian Armed Forces

Currently, the Indian Army operates four Pinaka regiments, with six more on order. However, it was first used in the Kargil War of 1999, with great success against the Pakistan Army.

It was also deployed more recently on the border between India and China, in a context of tensions linked to
Ladakh.

Armenia’s use of Pinaka

The Pinaka system has already enjoyed export success thanks to orders from Armenia and interest from other countries. In fact, Yerevan became the first export customer for the locally developed Pinaka.

In October 2022, it was reported that Armenia had placed an export order to be finalized within two years.

The Indian export of Pinaka to
Armenia had even encouraged Azerbaijan to register its protest with New Delhi. Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, visited Indian Ambassador to the country Sridharan Madhusudhanan to express concerns over the expansion of military cooperation between Armenia and India . He also called for a review of India’s decision to supply lethal weapons to Armenia.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in a conflict for control of territory.
Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict culminated in a 45-day war in September 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace deal.

Besides Armenia and France, Indonesia and two other South American countries have also expressed interest in Pinaka.

Comparison with HIMARS

Indian defense officials consider the Pinaka one of the best long-range weapons in their arsenal, comparing it to American weapons.
HIMARS.

The HIMARS consists of a mid-sized tactical truck loaded with six 227-millimeter GPS-guided rockets. It has a range of more than 69 km. The rocket is thirteen feet long and is known as the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). Each rocket features a 200-pound high-explosive warhead, and GPS guidance ensures that each rocket can land within 16 feet of the designated aiming point.

HIMARS was developed by Lockheed Martin and first appeared publicly in 1993. HIMARS has expanded its global presence and is exported to several countries, including Jordan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

In August, the US State Department approved Norway’s acquisition of HIMARS.

However, the lethality of HIMARS has become globally known due to its use in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Washington sent the first four HIMARS to Ukraine in early June 2022, and by the end of July, Ukrainian forces claimed to have struck more than 100 “high-value” military targets.

With the contribution of agencies