Overview
- The DRDO's Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket, which was flight-tested Wednesday, validated a user‑defined minimum strike range of 60 km and impacted the target with what officials called "textbook precision".
- Range instrumentation tracked the rocket through its flight and the weapon executed planned in‑flight manoeuvres, according to Ministry of Defence and DRDO statements.
- The test used an in‑service Pinaka launcher, demonstrating that existing launchers can fire different Pinaka variants and easing integration with current artillery batteries.
- Development was led by Pune's Armament Research and Development Establishment and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory with technical support from DRDL and RCI, following earlier LRGR trials in December (120 km) and extended‑range firing at Pokhran in March.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO chair Rajesh Kumar Singh praised the trial as a major milestone that could boost the Army's precision long‑range firepower and lower reliance on imports while officials have not yet outlined next steps toward induction.