The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared on Wednesday the much-anticipated procurement of Indigenous Pinaka multi barrel rocket-launcher weapons system. Two contracts worth approximately Rs 10,000 crore are expected to be signed by the end of March this year, before the financial year ends, sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The approval paves the way for two major contracts worth Rs 6,050 crore to be awarded to the lowest bidder Solar Group, the Nagpur-based private sector ammunition-maker and another contract worth approximately Rs 4,000 crore to the Defence Public Sector Unit, Munitions India Ltd. Both these companies will make two variants of ammunition–area denial munition (ADM) and Pinaka MKI enhanced range, sources added.
These contracts will support the Indian Army’s 10 Pinaka regiments, which complement its existing artillery strength comprising three Russian-origin Smerch and five Grad rocket regiments. While four Pinaka regiments have already been inducted—some deployed along the northern borders with China—six additional regiments are in the process of being operationalized. This expansion is expected to enhance the Army’s firepower and versatility, particularly in high-altitude combat scenarios.
The Pinaka system is regarded as one of the world’s premier multi-launch rocket systems. It is capable of delivering high-explosive pre-fragmented ammunition with a strike range of 45 km and area-denial munitions up to 37 km. The latter is designed to saturate target zones with bomblets, including anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, adding significant lethality to the arsenal.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has also developed extended-range variants of the Pinaka, capable of striking targets up to 75 km. Plans are to further enhance the range to 120 km and eventually to 300 km.
India is actively promoting the export of the Pinaka system alongside other indigenous defence products, such as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Akash air defence system. Armenia has already procured the Pinaka and Akash systems, and several ASEAN, African, and European nations have expressed interest in acquiring them.
In addition to the Pinaka contracts, the Army’s Regiment of Artillery is set to finalize another significant deal worth Rs 8,500 crore within this fiscal year for 307 indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), which boast a strike range of 48 km.
Ravi Shankar
