Will France buy Pinaka rocket launcher from India next?

Is France set to buy the Pinaka rocket launcher from India next?

The indigenously-made Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system (MBLR) – which India says is equivalent to the US-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) – is growing increasingly popular around the world.

Armenia earlier placed an order with Solar Industries, the manufacturer of the Pinaka, to buy the weapons system.

Several countries including Nigeria and Indonesia have expressed interest in the Pinaka.

But is France buying it? And what do we know about the system?

Let’s take a closer look:

Is France buying Pinaka?

As per The Print, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered the MBLR to France during his discussions with President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.

Modi co-chaired the AI Summit in France with Macron.

The two leaders on Wednesday paid homage to fallen Indian soldiers at the Mazargues War Cemetery near Marseille.

Modi is set to head to Washington DC for bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump.

The development came in the backdrop of the two nations seeking to increase defence ties.

As per The Week, the talks to acquire Pinaka are at an advanced stage.

The outlet earlier reported that France has been thinking about buying the Pinaka for some time.

“Indians presented to my Chief of Army Staff last February the Pinaka. It is very interesting for us. We are organising evaluation of 3-4 best providers of this system, India being among them,” Brigadier General Stephane Richou, French Army staff general international affairs, told The Hindu in an interview. “We have a special mission that is going to come to India in the coming weeks, to evaluate both the launcher and the ammunition… We are considering the possibility among several other systems that we are considering.”

A few months ago, a French delegation in India were given a demonstration about the capabilities of the Pinaka rocket system.

They found it to be satisfactory.

This would be the first time that France buys any weapon from India .

France was India’s second-largest arms supplier after Russia between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 Ummalaneni Raja Babu, the director general of missiles and strategic systems at DRDO, said, “A deal has not been reached yet, but the talks are continuing.”

The Print earlier reported that French authorities have been thinking about buying the Pinaka for some time.

As per The Hindu, France wants to replace its M270 Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU) rocket systems in service.

France, which has 13 upgraded M270 systems, has sent six to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

“Indians presented to my Chief of Army Staff last February the Pinaka. It is very interesting for us. We are organising evaluation of 3-4 best providers of this system, India being among them,” Brigadier General Stephane Richou, French Army staff general international affairs, told the outlet in November. “We have a special mission that is going to come to India in the coming weeks, to evaluate both the launcher and the ammunition… We are considering the possibility among several other systems that we are considering.”

What do we know about the Pinaka?

The Pinaka weapon system, named after the bow of Hindu god Shiva, is used by the Indian Army.

It was famously deployed in the 1999 war between India and Pakistan.

The Pinaka was developed by the Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) – which is an arm of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The development of this weapon began in the late 1980s.

The Pinaka was meant to be an alternative to Russian multi-barrel rocket launching systems.

The multi-barrel rocket system can let off 12 rockets in under 45 seconds.

As per Indian Express, the Pinaka comprises six launch vehicles, accompanied by the loader systems, radar and links with network based systems and a command post.

One battery can neutralise an area one kilometre by one kilometre.

There are two versions of the Pinaka — Mark I, which has a range of around 40 kilometres and the Mark-II version that can fire up to 75 kilometres.

There are plans to enhance the range of the system — first to 120 km and then even up to 300 km.

According to experts, the Pinaka rockets can reach a speed of Mach 4.7 (5,800 km/hr), making it very fast and difficult to intercept.

The rocket’s warhead can have different designs for various combat uses.

The launcher’s shoot-and-scoot capability enables it to escape the counter-battery fire, as per Eurasian Times.

The Pinaka weapons system is traditionally mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility, with experts adding that the weapons system allows ground forces a deep strike option and also possess the capability of hitting critical military installations.

The Indian Army currently has four Pinaka regiments, with six more on order.

The Pinaka was recently deployed at India’s border with China amid tensions over Ladakh.

With inputs from agencies