Pinaka II trial successful: DRDO
Jodhpur: Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory has ended the year with a bang in Jaisalmer, adding to the success story of the premier defence research establishment. The three-day-long User Assisted Trials (in this case Indian Army) of the much-awaited Pinaka II, a complete multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system with a range of 60 km, have been successfully completed as per the DRDO officials.Range of Pinaka II is 20 km more than the Pinaka I version, which has a 40 km range and has already been inducted into the forces.
DRDO officials revealed that after the successful development trials of 60 km range Pinaka II rocket systems, the same were being manufactured in huge quantities in production lines. Sources revealed that the same have been handed over to the Army as per its projected demand meeting the timeframe of December 2015. "And now, the user assisted trials have been completed successfully in Pokhran in the past three days or so," said an official pleading anonymity about these covert trials marking a glorious year end for DRDO as well as the Army . Pinaka has been indigenously developed by ARDE, Pune, a DRDO laboratory .
Interestingly , the `submunition warheads', amongst the eight different kinds of warheads for Pinaka, successfully tested during advanced development trials for Pinaka I in Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan during June 2015, paved way for it to be used in Pinaka II as well.These act as a force-multiplier while supplementing the artillery guns as well.Pinaka, the indigenous unguided rocket system which has been undergoing extensive testing since the past 20 years is capable of neutralising large areas with rapid salvos. Having proven its mettle during Kargil war while neutralising the mountain peaks off the enemy , Pinaka akes pride in its low cost vis-a-vis other such rocket systems in the world bestowed with shoot and scoot capabilities.
Meanwhile, `proof trials' for the production lots of Pinaka I wherein random Pinakas are picked up to test the performance standards of a specific lot were also conducted here as per the officials. `Inhouse' or the `technical trials', actually a part of the developments trials for Pinaka II have been completed in two phases ncluding the first phase in Balasore for checking the range and the second one at Pokhran for checking the accuracy and consistency in performance levels.
DRDO officials disclosed that not only the number of Pinaka rockets to be manufactured is being increased in production lines to cater for the Army's projected needs aimed at giving boost to concerned regiments but even the strike capability in terms of an even longer range for Pinaka II is in pipeline. ARDE and other DRDO officials were present along with the Indian Army officials during these trials at Pokhran.
Pinaka can carry a payload of more than 100 kg
Pinaka battery consists of six launchers, each equipped with 12 rockets. Capable of carrying a payload of more than 100 kg, Pinaka went into development in 1986 and production in 1998. Having proven its mettle during Kargil, indigenous Pinaka MBRL mounted on a Tatra truck can act as a force-multiplier as an Area Weapon System while firing a salvo of 12 High Explosive (HE) rockets in 44 seconds and neutralizing a marked area of 3.9 sq km. This thermo-baric ammunition has become even more lethal while being able to operate from a mobile launcher at extreme temperature ranges of -10 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius or so, with a quicker reaction time and capability to carry various kinds of warheads. The MBRL system can work in various modes including autonomous mode while being controlled by a fire control computer, standalone mode, manual mode or remote mode etc.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...rial-successful-DRDO/articleshow/50416122.cms
