What is the Pinaka rocket launcher that India will export to Armenia?

 India is all set to export its indigenously-manufactured Pinaka rocket launcher to Armenia.

According to Solar Industries, the company manufacturing the weapons system, Armenia has placed an export order to be completed within two years and Nigeria and Indonesia are in line to make a purchase.

“Life and range of upgraded Pinaka rocket launchers is more, despite price being almost same. We’ve received export order from Armenia, to be completed within two years. Both Nigeria and Indonesia have also expressed interest,” Solar Industries chairman Satyanarayan Nuwal said.

Nuwal was speaking at DefExpo 2022, India’s largest-ever defence exhibition, where the weapon is being showcased.

Let’s take a closer look at the Pinaka Rocket launcher:

The rocket launcher gets its name from the legendary bow of Shiva.

As per Financial Express, it was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) based on an 8×8 vehicle.

The Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune also contributed to its development, as per India Today.

It is a comprehensive system that integrates high energy propulsion, submunition warheads, servo- controlled launcher structure as well as fire control computer, as per the newspaper.

The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility, as per EurAsian Times.

It was first used during the Kargil War where it successfully neutralised Pakistan Army positions on the mountain tops.

It was also deployed more recently at India’s border with China amid tensions over Ladakh.

The first Pinaka Mk1 Indian Army regiment was raised in February 2000, as per EurAsian Times.

According to Kashmir Observer, the rocket launcher can fire 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds.

As per India Today, it delivers lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, fuel and ammunition dumps.

It allows ground forces a deep strike option and is capable of hitting critical military installations.

As per Armenian Weekly, the Pinaka has six launchers that can neutralise an area measuring 1000 meters x 800 meters with a range of 60 to 75 kilometers, and a DIGICORA MET radar.

It is designed to replace the Armenian Army’s Russian-built BM-21 Grad launchers.

It has since been inducted into the Indian Army in large numbers, which is in the process of fielding 10 Pinaka Mk-1 regiments, as per EurAsian Times.

The upgraded version of the Pinaka rocket launcher reportedly has a range in excess of 90 kilometers.

The Economic Times last week reported that the Ministry of Defence authorised the export of weapons via a government-to-government channel, under which the two countries signed agreements to deliver weapons and ammunition to Armenia.

While the deal’s value was not disclosed, the report claimed armaments worth $250 million would be sold ‘over the next few months’.

“This order includes six additional first-ever export of the indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers. This weapon, which is already in service with the Indian Army, has been designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by private sector companies in the country,” sources told the newspaper.

What experts say

Experts told EurAsian Times that the contract is likely for the Pinaka Mk-1 MBRLS rather than the Pinaka Mk-2 or Pinaka Mk-2 EPRS.

The longer-range Pinaka-2 systems, with optional (INS/GPS) guided rockets, have finished user trials, but aren’t being produced yet.

The defence ministry in December said a series of successful tests of the enhanced range Pinaka rocket launcher system were conducted at the Pokhran range.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Defence said, “The DRDO, along with the Army, conducted a series of performance evaluation trials. In these trials, enhanced range Pinaka rockets were test-fired at different ranges with various warhead capabilities. All the trial objectives were met satisfactorily. 24 rockets were fired for different ranges and warhead capabilities to meet the objectives of accuracy and consistency.”

The production capacity for the Pinaka Mk-1 rocket launcher is over 5,000 per year, as per the report.

India’s geopolitical play?

India’s move comes in the backdrop of Armenia being involved in a conflict with Azerbaijan (backed by Turkey, which has recently towed Pakistan’s line on Kashmir).

As per Kashmir Observer, India earlier in October called for the “aggressor side” in fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border to “immediately cease hostilities”, a dig at Azerbaijan which it did not name.

As per Financial Express, the Pinaka MBRL would be extremely effective in any border conflict while targeting armoured formations

But experts say the Pinaka rocket launcher alone may not be enough to tilt the balance decisively Armenia’s way.

As Major General Raj Mehta (retired) told EurAsian Times: “What we are exporting won’t be enough. More importantly, Pinaka and tank missiles aren’t drone compatible and are also expensive.

“In war, hammers aren’t the right way ahead to kill flies. One must carry out a threat assessment, after which the correct weapons can be chosen. A ‘transparent’ battlefield allows wise choices to be made. An Indian assessment team could identify the real battlefield problems and then suggest what India could provide at a reasonable cost.”

‘Aiming for 35,000-cr exports by 2025’

India registered defence exports worth Rs 8,000 crore in six months of the current financial year and aims to achieve the target of outbound shipments of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.

Singh was speaking at the curtain raiser event of Defence Expo (DefExpo).

Singh said India’s defence sector has registered exports worth Rs 30,000 crore after 2014 when the Narendra Modi government assumed office at the Centre.

He said India is progressing speedily on the path to achieve global standards of design, development and manufacturing of defence equipment.

“Before 2014, we used to achieve (defence) exports of Rs 900 crore-Rs 1,300 crore. But we have achieved exports worth more than Rs 30,000 crore to date (since 2014). We can add another Rs 8,000 crore-Rs 9,000 crore of the export target (this year),” Singh said.

We target to achieve (annual defence) exports worth Rs 35,000 crore by the end of FY 2025. We have achieved exports worth Rs 8,000 crore in six months (of FY 2022-23)," Singh said at the curtain raiser event attended by media persons.

Officials said so far 451 agreements related to the defence sector with proposed investment of Rs 1.50 lakh crore have been signed in run up to the DefExpo. Of these, Gujarat-based companies have signed MoUs with an investment pledge of Rs 5,000 crore, they said.

Singh said India has in the last few years covered a transformational journey from being a (defence) importer to an exporter.

The defence minister said the 12th edition of the DefExpo will give further impetus to this journey.

“India, which was until a few years back, considered the world’s biggest (defence) importer is now standing in the queue of 25 top exporting countries,” Singh said in his address on the occasion.

He said more than 1,3000 companies are participating in the DefExpo, which is the largest number for the event so far.

Singh said as far as import dependence in the defence sector is considered, he has created a ‘positive indigenisation list’ of 410 items and more than 3,000 components of public sector undertakings (PSUs) which India wants to stop importing from abroad over the next few years.

The Union minister said the theme of the DefExpo - ‘Path to Pride’ - is a vision of a new India. “If we want the world to trust our products, then first we will have to trust ourselves. ‘Path to Pride’ is a continuous process of that same trust,” he said.

Singh said the expo will showcase the strength of India’s defence industry with the idea of ‘Make in India and make for the world’.

India achieved exports of defence items and technology worth a record Rs 13,000 crore in 2021-22 and this figure is likely to rise to Rs 17,000 crore in 2022-23, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said.

Kumar said the second India-Africa Defence Dialogue is being organised during the five-day event.

“We are helping African countries by building their capacity using our defence industry. We are trying to find solutions to drug trafficking, piracy and other such issues in partnership. Overall, our cooperation in the Indian Ocean is being carried out with the Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR),” he said.

The senior bureaucrat said “Invest for Defence’ is being organised for the first time at the DefExpo.

“The aim is for our investors, financial institutions, venture capitals and private equity funds to know about investment opportunities in defence,” he said.

Kumar said the ‘Bandhan’ event at the expo is about signing business agreements.

In the last DefExpo held in Lucknow, 201 agreements were signed. This time, so far 451 agreements have been inked committing Rs 1.50 lakh crore investment, he added.

With inputs from agencies

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