Stamps commitment to enhancing India’s self-reliance in defence technology  

 

NAGPUR-BASED Solar Group has successfully conducted the trails of two lots of Pinaka Extended Range Rockets first time in the country, marking a significant achievement in India’s defence capabilities, recently. Now, Indian Army will get another variant Pinaka Extended Range, bolstering the nation’s defence systems. This accomplishment underscores Solar Group’s commitment to enhancing India’s self-reliance in defence technology. Solar Group, in collaboration with DRDO, has successfully tested two lots of Pinaka Extended Range Rockets, achieving a key milestone in India’s defence self-reliance, with the Indian Army set to receive this advanced 120-km range guided variant. This enhancement significantly boosts India’s deep-strike capabilities and artillery precision, reflecting a move towards indigenising long-range rocket systems.

 

The maiden proof trials of two production lots of Pinaka Extended Range rockets were conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Range. This marks the first time a private Indian entity has produced and tested these enhanced rockets, following a significant Rs 6,000 crore order to supply the Indian Armed Forces. This accomplishment represents a major shift toward private sector participation in high-end defence manufacturing, reducing dependence on imports. These new rockets, developed with advanced guidance, navigation, and control kits, will allow the Indian Army to engage targets at far greater ranges. The project highlights the role of Indian private industry, specifically Solar Group and others, in producing advanced defense technology locally. This achievement follows ongoing efforts to modernise artillery, which include raising new Pinaka regiments with superior capabilities to strengthen borders. The Pinaka system’s expansion from its original range of 10 km to over 100 km marks a significant leap in India’s long-range artillery arsenal.