BY : DOMAIN B

Indigenously developed multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) weapon system, Pinaka, was successfully test-fired on Wednesday jointly by the army and Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists from the missile testing range on Chandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from Balasore, Orissa.

Pinaka has undergone several tests in the past and is now in an advanced stage of development.t was put through sample trials at the Proof Experimental Establishment by army and scientists from DRDO, defence sources said. "The objective of the trials was to assess its stability in flight as well as accuracy and consistency," officials said.

They also said that adding that the MBRL, capable of acting as a force-multiplier, could gradually replace the current artillery system. The first round of trials, conducted at 1214 hours, yielded the desired results, according to PXE director, Maj Gen Anup Malhotra.

The sophisticated Pinaka is an area weapon system aimed at supplementing the existing artillery gun at a range beyond 30 km. It has a quick reaction time and high rate of fire. The unguided rocket system is capable of neutralising a large geographical area with rapid salvo of rockets.

With a range of 40 km, Pinaka can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds with each salvo (12 rockets) from the battery of six launchers capable of neutralising a target area of 3.9 sq km. The system is capability of incorporating several types of warheads that can destroy solid structures and bunkers.

Wednesday's exercise involved six rounds of sample trials for which rockets were picked up randomly from 102 samples, the sources said.

The Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), the nodal agency to develop the Pinaka, has also reported to have developed a high performance artillery rocket system, which can fire up to a range between 70-120 km, they said.

ARDE has announced that it is developing a 7.2-metre rocket for the Pinaka MBRL, which can reach a distance of 120 km and carry a 250 kg payload. These new rockets can be fired in 44 seconds, have a maximum speed of mach 4.7, rise to an altitude of 40 km before hitting its target at mach 1.8 and can destroy an area of 3.9 sq km.

Integrating UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) with the Pinaka is also in the pipeline, as DRDO intends to install guidance systems on these rockets to increase their accuracy.

Development and trials will continue and the rocket is expected to enter service by 2012. The first Pinaka regiment was raised in February 2000. A regiment consists of three batteries of six Pinakas each, plus reserves, the sources said.

Tata Power's advanced material division and Larsen and Tubro's heavy engineering division were awarded a Rs 200 crore contract to produce 40 Pinaka MRBLs each.